Forgiven
by Jax Solo
Summary: She's an exiled Mandalorian, Jedi, and infamous general. He's a scoundrel with a dark past but a heart of polished gold. Their fates are tied together in more ways that one. Can she forgive him...before it's too late for the Force? LSFE/Atton.
1. Exile

**FORGIVEN:**

**The story of Kiray Fett, Mandalorian Jedi Exile**

PROLOGUE: Exile

Kiray Fett's eyes were narrow as she brushed a dark strand of hair from her face. She was clad in her traditional armor, marked with the _aliik_ of Clan Fett, but she was worried whether she would be able to keep the sign. Before her, staring at her in anger, was Cassus Fett, the head of Clan Fett and her father. She bit her lip as Cassus knelt down before her and took her hands. He was speaking in Mando'a, their native language, but it was easy for Kiray to understand.

"Why, daughter? Why did you not tell me you possessed this power?" Cassus murmured. Kiray refused to meet his gaze, but he raised her chin, and Cassus's black eyes bore into Kiray's light brown ones. "Do you wish to bring honor against our family? Against _me?_"

"No, father. I would rather that we make peace with the Republic instead of fighting them. These...things were not natural, I felt it!" Kiray stood and stared out the window, out at the Fett capital city of _Fett'oriya_, and softly whispered, "_Aliit ori'shya tal'din_, father."

"Do not recite our sayings to me, Kiray!" Cassus growled, reaching out for his daughter's shoulder. "If you go to the Republic, to_ Coruscanta_, to the _Jetii_, you will become a stranger to us, to all Mandalorians! Do you want that, Kiray? Answer me!"

Kiray did not reply, but very slowly reached for her clan marking and her rank of _al'verde_ and carefully pulled them off.

"I cannot stop this war from happening, but I can stop you from winning," she whispered. Kiray thrust the marks into her father's hands and ran, not taking anything of hers, not noticing the stares her clan-friends gave her as she ran for a shuttle, Cassus Fett following her.

He appeared in the hangar, shouting her name, just as Kiray flared up the shuttle's engines and took off. Tears were stinging her eyes as her fingers punched in the coordinates for Coruscant, and with a sigh of, "_Akay dinui drashaar dral, cuyir dar'manda._" Carefully, she said it again, but in what basic she could speak:

"Until the gift is stronger, I am not Manda-lor-ian."

With a fierce nod, Kiray Fett took the jump lever and pulled it, leaving behind what she knew for the wide galaxy.

_Two years later, Jedi Temple, Coruscant:_

Kiray bit her lip as she walked forward, into the Council chambers. The cyan blade of her double-bladed lightsaber glowed as she stepped forward, before the five Masters.

"Do you know why you have come here?" Master Vrook, an irascible, grumpy man with a nose that reminded Kiray of a shriek-hawk of Mandalore. Kiray quietly cleared her throat and said in a still-thickly accented but only slightly fragmented Basic, "You summoned me to answer for what happened at Malachor."

"Indeed," Kavar, a kind man who had trained Kiray when she'd appeared two years ago, asking in Mando'a to be trained as a Jedi, said. "There are other things to be discussed as well, I am afraid."

"Why did you not heed the Council's wishes? Why did you need to follow Revan into battle?" Zez-Kai Ell asked her. Kiray tried not to let her sorrow show and replied with a shaky voice, "There is much more to my going to war than merely..." She gave Kavar a pleading look. The Jedi Master reluctantly stood and bent down for Kiray to whisper the word she needed translated: "_Tal'galar._" Kavar nodded and quickly translated it for her before returning to his seat. Kiray began again, "There is much more to my going to war than wanting to spill blood."

"Truly? Not a lust for revenge at your people for making you an outcast?" a white-robed Atris cried out suspiciously, stoking Kiray's natural rage. Kavar reached out to her and calmed her, and Kiray took her own deep breaths and nodded to Atris. "I did not want revenge, Master Atris. My father refused to hear me two years ago when he was approached by a dark-feeling man and tempted to go to war against the Republic, and so I left to come here. The darkness the man had exuded then now permeates my people, and I could not fall with them."

"That is enough, Kiray," Lonna Vash said kindly. Kiray flashed her basic teacher a grin before Vrook spoke again.

"That reason cannot atone for what you have done. There is only one path for you: exile."

At first, Kiray was confused at the word and turned to Lonna Vash. The black-haired master looked at her sadly and translated, "_Dar'Jetii."_ Kiray's eyes went wide, and tears began to flow. In less than five years, she had been exiled from both sides she belonged to.

"There is one last thing," Vrook grumbled, ignoring Kiray's tears, "your lightsaber. Surrender it."

Without another word, Kiray approached the center stone and dug the blade into the hole in the stone. Almost instantly, a strange force pulled the weapon from her hands, and Kiray closed her fists. She almost wanted to grab at whatever power she had left and reclaim her blade – but no, that would not be a good thing. Instead, Kiray turned on her heel and marched out, her shoulders slumped and shaking as she fought the tears.

_This is _aay'han_; a bitter end, and yet...a new opportunity. What will the future have in store for me?_ She wondered, but a smile lit her face amidst the tears. _I will have to go out and find it._

And so Kiray Fett, an exile of the Mandalorians and the Jedi, went out into the galaxy, to discover her destiny.


	2. Awakening

CHAPTER I: Awakening

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Fragmented memories floated around her mind, coming together and breaking apart. She was vaguely aware of herself ebbing away, floating in some water-like substance. Maybe she was dying, after all. The slow wearing away of each nerve ending, until there was nothing left to feel with.

And right when she was drifting off into the nothingness she so desperately wanted, a voice echoed within her:

"Awaken."

She felt herself awakening, every fiber of her body tensing, testing to make sure everything was secure and ready. Then she had the discreet sense of being lowered, and, just for a moment, she crawled forward into a lower piece of ground, and very nearly passed out.

However, everything began piecing back together, and all the memories swirled like a thick cloud...and Kiray Fett awoke. Computers were beeping all over the place, and every tank behind her held others – but their life-support readings were in the red. Kiray glanced around in sudden fear; where was she, after all? Almost experimentally, Kiray stepped forward, and, knowing that her legs still functioned normally, she walked out of the medbay.

Kiray opened the door before her, and saw several options; however, the door to her right was effectively locked, and the one directly ahead of her was broken. That left the left-side door, and it opened at her touch. Kiray saw a container and quickly opened it, finding two medpacs and felt her lip curl. She didn't need any medpacs; Kiray Fett was a Mandalorian, albeit an exiled Mandalorian. And an exiled Jedi, matter of fact. Kiray shook her head as she approached the terminal. All she needed to do was open the door across the hallway and the one behind her, but there was one last thing she needed to check. Kiray scrolled down to the "Patient Treatment" file and opened it; it appeared that a delayed sedative had been administered to everyone, including her. However, unlike her, the other men in the bay did not survive. Kiray didn't have a spike on her, so she had to settle for picking up some chemicals and more medpacs before crossing over to the other opened room, which the computer had identified as the morgue.

Kiray paused at the dead old woman dressed in a brown robe before approaching the other corpse and rifling around in the body. There was a plasma torch in one of his hands, and Kiray took it, seeing it as an easy way to open the final door, when the strangest thing happened. The brown-robed corpse slowly sat up and fixed her hood before standing and approaching Kiray.

"Find what you're looking for amongst the dead?" she inquired in a very familiar sounding voice. Kiray stared at the woman for at least thirty seconds before trying to get her vocal cords to work, but when they did, they spoke Mando'a:

"_Jorad!_ That voice – it was heard in the kolto tank. _I_ heard it in the kolto tank." The old woman gave her a strange look and nodded. "Hm, yes. I have slept too long. It may be that I reached out unconsciously, and your mind was a willing one – or perhaps you have been trained for such things?"

It was a question, and Kiray was afraid to answer, hoping not to speak Mando'a again. Thankfully, she didn't, and she said in an abnormally clear and concise Basic, "And how would I be trained to have an always open mind?"

"Your stance, your walk, tells me you are a Jedi. Your walk is heavy, as if you are weighed down with many burdens." Kiray turned away and said softly, "The Order of the _Jetii_ and I have a troubled history."

"Indeed? And would that be because you are a Mandalorian as well?" Kiray straightened and gave the woman an odd glare; how could this _dala_ possibly know that? But the old woman kept her from speaking as she continued, "But let us not dwell on the past. We should focus on the now."

"So you know who – and what – I am, and can feign death," Kiray began, and then challenged, "_Tion'cuy_?"

"I am Kreia, and I am your rescuer, as you are mine. Tell me, do you recall what happened?" Kiray held her chin in her hand for a second or two, thinking. "I was on a Republic ship, the _Harbinger_. How did I get here?"

"I do not know what this place is, or how we got here. But we must leave quickly before our enemy arrives."

"We? What makes you think that there's a 'we' here?" Kiray shot out. This old woman was infuriating enough without trying to make themselves a team.

"Neither of us can escape this place alone. And there must be others, still alive, in this place," Kreia replied coolly. "And I leave _you_ to the explorations of this place. I must remain and center myself."

"All right, so we need a ship, weapons, information...anything else?"

Kreia glanced at her coldly and answered icily, "Perhaps you could extend your search to some clothes, if only for proper first impressions."

"All right. I guess I'll come back to see if you're okay." Kiray held the plasma torch firmly as she marched out of the morgue, leaving Kreia to "center" herself. _Must mean meditation. I was never good at that,_ she thought before slashing at the door, burning the broken lock away and overriding the lockdown.

Kiray tossed the torch away and began searching the corpses and the broken droid, locating a vibroblade in one of them. _It's better than nothing at all_, she concluded, practicing a few katas. Sadly, the blade was not _kad_ or _jetii'kad_, but it would suffice. She proceeded through a door and began her explorations of this unfamiliar facility, starting off by bashing two droids and recovering a weak blaster pistol, which she stuffed into her light belt.

Another pair of droids waited for her on the other side of the next door, and then a security locker needed to be picked so she could recover more chemicals, components, and... two ion grenades. Kiray almost jumped up and down in happiness in having grenades, and passed to the next corridor. A sudden whisper stopped her, and Kiray paused to listen:

_Beyond this door, there is a danger...yet not from anything that lives._

"Kreia!" Kiray yelped in alarm, looking around fearfully, "Wha-"

_Quiet! Can you not sense them? Cast aside your sight, cast aside what you...see, and reach out with your perceptions._ Kiray was afraid, afraid of what would happen if she reached out. And yet she did, and felt three droids, waiting with their eternal patience, but not the droids themselves.

_Ah, you can feel them. The slight oscillations of energy, echoing outwards,_ Kreia's voice whispered once more, causing Kiray to shake her head. Kiray stepped forward and carefully opened the door, a grenade in her hand. Sure enough, three droids were before her, and Kiray quickly threw the ion grenade at the center of the group, causing a huge explosion that destroyed all three droids. And then it was there: a familiar rush of strength, of a special power that Kiray knew all too well.

Kreia must have felt it too, because she made contact yet again. _You can barely feel it, but it is there!_

"What is it?" Kiray whispered, trying to keep Kreia off-guard. "Are the sedatives wearing off?"

_It is the Force you feel. It has not been so long for you to _forget_, has it?_

Kiray's lip curled as she growled, "_Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa._ But it has been too long, and I nearly forgot..."

_Do not turn away from it. Feel it in you, pulsing, giving you strength._ Kiray felt it, and yet it was not the same. "It is not the same. More like an echo..."

_Come, I shall guide you down the familiar paths, and once more can you become_ Jetii_, as well as _manda. Kiray's heart leapt as Kreia retreated. She could become _both_ a true Mandalorian and a Jedi? It was almost too good to believe. But she could not trust anyone, not Kreia, and most definitely not herself.

Wondering at her new situation, she flexed her fingers, feeling the life of the Force pulsing around her, although it was weak, and she could barely act upon it. Kiray slowly lowered to her knees, and felt it as she awoke for the second time that day.


	3. Contentions

CHAPTER II: Contentions

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Kiray glanced out of the open door, into a large computer center of some sort. However, she could sense five droids, all ready to attack her. Kiray carefully considered her options: first, she could just run in and access the terminal, hoping the droids wouldn't see her; she could wade into battle against the droids; or... Kiray fingered the stealth belt she'd recovered from the security storage room. She had never used one before, and yet it seemed like a very good idea. Without another thought, Kiray strapped on the belt and carefully activated it. Her form disappeared, with only a slight shimmer in the air barely giving away her presence.

_Now, just to get over to a console...and not get too close to any of these _beskar'ad, Kiray thought as she stepped forward, and stiffening as the droid that had been just past the edge of the doorway. Thankfully, the droid didn't make any movements against her, and Kiray quickly skittered past it, thanking everything Mandalorian and Jedi that it hadn't seen her. However, her nerves were put to the test again when one thundered up and away from where Kiray hoped the terminal was. Her hand instantly covered her mouth to muffle a tiny yell of surprise, but the droid kept on its way. Kiray rushed past, barely making a sound, and reached the console without any other droid encounters.

Kiray activated the terminal and inwardly groaned when she saw the complex encryption on it. She gave the terminal a hard punch out of frustration, and then noticed, barely hidden from view, a small switch. Curious, Kiray tugged it, and a deep groan echoed around her. On the terminal was a message that read: SECURITY MEASURES DEACTIVATED. ALL ORGANIC MINING PROTOCOLS COUNTERMANDED.

_Organic mining protocols? What facility would have droids with that type of programming?_ Kiray wondered to herself as she cautiously deactivated the stealth field. No droids rushed her, allowing Kiray to sigh in relief and swipe at a faint beat of sweat. Out of curiosity, she approached one of the droids and opened it up. There were a few spare components inside, which she took, and Kiray was able to re-program the droid to defend organics, rather than mine them. The Mandalorian Jedi still had enough parts left over to accomplish the same thing with the other four droids, before she approached the door at the back of the blister.

_Beyond this door, someone let lives,_ Kreia's voice whispered. Kiray sighed in exasperation as the _di'kutla ruug'la dala_ kept talking:

_But be wary; his thoughts are...difficult to read. But you have nothing to fear from this one, and he might yet prove useful!_ Kiray shuddered as Kreia slid back, away from her head. She had never enjoyed using people to make ends meet, and hated every time she did it, both when she had been a normal Mandalorian and during her regular years as a Jedi. But Mandos did not proceed without caution, and Kiray was no exemption as she opened the door.

One of the force cages was active, and it held a brown-haired, brown-eyed man wearing a beat-up brown jacket. Kiray could barely sense the soul that the man had funneled into his jacket, but was soon interrupted from further examination as he began speaking in a smooth-talker-type voice.

"_Nice_ outfit. What, you miners change regulation uniform while I've been in here?" Kiray gave him a Look as she walked forward, replying, "I'd keep your eyes up and tell me who you are."

"Atton. Atton Rand. 'Scuse me if I don't shake hands; the field only causes mild electrical burns," Atton Rand replied, not even trying to extend his hand. Kiray nodded in understanding and replied, "Mind telling me what you're doing in there?" Atton rolled his eyes as he answered, "Security claimed that I violated some trumped-up regulation. Take it up with them if you want, but they stopped listening to me a bit _before_ they stopped feeding me. Now that's criminal."

"Do you know what happened here?" Kiray asked, hoping he would keep talking as long as he didn't figure out she was a Jedi. That she was a Mandalorian, well, you couldn't exactly tell it until Kiray spoke Mando'a.

Atton shrugged and responded, "You mean before or after that Jedi showed up? Either way, it's a really short story.

"See, this Jedi shows up, and you know what that means: where there's one Jedi, the Republic will soon be crawling up your ion engine. But some of the miners get it into their ferrocrete skulls that they can sell the Jedi to the Exchange. Well, what passes for the law here didn't take kindly to that. Then there was some big explosion, I've been sitting here a long time...then _you_ show up in your underwear and things got a whole lot better."

"There's a bounty on Jedi? How'd that happen?" Kiray asked fearfully. If the Jedi were now being hunted by bounty hunter scum, and lots of them, that wasn't good news. Atton cracked his neck before continuing.

"I wouldn't know. Maybe there's someone out there with something against Jedi and is looking to collect."

"But that's impossible. The Jedi can't all be gone."

"Well, if there are any Jedi left, they'll have switched off the lightsabers long ago. Those who've died in the Jedi Civil War, well, they had it lucky."

"Jedi Civil War?" Kiray asked in confusion. It may have been five years since she'd been last in the galaxy proper, but she still had contacts that fed her news and information. None of the reports she'd received had mentioned a war between Jedi. "The rumors I heard were about the Sith, not the Jedi."

"Yeah, you know, Revan, Malak, and the Jedi that followed them in the Mandalorian Wars," Atton answered, astonishment covering his face. "Where've you been?"

"I haven't really heard much while I was...away."

"Anyway, they started fighting against the Republic a few years back, and, like all Sith do, eventually turned on themselves."

"What I heard was that Revan saved the Republic and the Order from certain destruction," Kiray said. That had been what her sources had told her, particularly the one she had funneling around the Republic Fleet. Atton shrugged and answered, "If that's what you say. But I heard Revan went after Malak to pay him back on trying to kill her in the first place." He gave Kiray a knowing wink before concluding, "You know women."

"I figured that Revan's defeat of Malak involved her redemption, not revenge." That was indeed Kiray's conclusion. Atton shook his head and grumbled, "Hey, I wouldn't know. But I heard what she was like back during the Mandalorian Wars, and it sounds like she was quick to kill anyone who crossed her."

Kiray shook her head, deciding to leave Atton to his delusions. "Not as much as I enjoy talking about my old commander-"

"Wait, your old commander?" Atton asked, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Then...hey, _you're _the Jedi the miners were talking about! What's happened to everyone?"

"I don't know," Kiray answered bitterly, kicking herself for revealing her Jedi training to this person. "The facility's abandoned."

"But the miners can't be all gone," Atton said, more to himself than anything, "but if they are...

"Hey, let me outta here," Atton said, his smooth-talking act back on full, "I've gotten out of trouble loads of times, and I can help you. I can!"

"Tell me your plan first, and we'll go from there," Kiray said, putting as much persuasive power that came naturally rather than through the Force behind it.

"You lower the energy field, and I can help you get to the hangar bay. We steal a vessel and fly outta here," Atton said easily. It sounded like a good plan, but Kiray, just like every Mandalorian, already had a plan B.

"I trust you," she said, restraining her voice to not slip into Mando'a, "and it sounds like a good plan. We also should have a plan B, _re_- just in case."

"Then you worry about that. Just let me out already." Kiray cocked an eyebrow while shooting Atton with another Look, but reached for the deactivation switch. The field wavered before vanishing from existence, and Atton stepped out from the containment area.

"Great. Now to the console." Kiray shook her head and said, "Fine, let's get rolling then." She followed at a distance as Atton ran for the terminal, past the droids.

"All right, here we are," he said gesturing to the terminal. "Now, this terminal has access to the comm. system. It's set on automatic hail, so you might have heard it when you entered the system.

"But, you can bounce that same signal back to the terminal, and suddenly you have access to communications from the inside," Atton finished, getting busy at the terminal. Kiray nodded in satisfaction at Atton's work as he stated, "Pure pazaak, the console's ours. Now all we have to do is end the emergency lockdown, reactivate the turbolifts, and – hey!"

"Sounds like you're going to tell me something I don't want to hear," Kiray grumbled. Atton nodded and answered, "This console's been severed from the main hub. I can't access anything, much less override the turbolifts."

"That's not a standard procedure for an emergency lockdown," Kiray wondered aloud, beginning to pace, rubbing her chin. Atton watched her and replied, "No, it's not. Whoever did this cut it clean, leaving us here. Trapped." He slumped down into a chair, and Kiray could barely make out some cursing...in Mando'a.

"Strong language to be using there," Kiray commented, and Atton just stared at her long and hard, dying to ask her how she knew what she was saying. Kiray quickly moved on, asking, "Can we contact the miners? Anyone?"

"No. Unless you think shouting into vacuum is going to do us any good."

"Still, we should try," Kiray said stubbornly, approaching the console. Atton rolled his eyes and muttered a few choice words. Kiray's eyes shot at him, and she replied in kind, "_Ne shab'rudu'ni, or'dinii_." Atton just stared as Kiray accessed the comm. and got a response from the hangar bay: a long stream of beeps and twitters that only came from a utility droid.

"Are you operational? Can you hear me?" she called into the mike. A few affirmative streams reached her, and Kiray answered, "Think you can get the turbolifts working?"

She received a negative on that. Kiray frowned and reopened the comm.. "Well, there's gotta be an emergency hatch down there right?" The droid twittered an affirmative, along with a little caution in his voice. Kiray shrugged and replied, "Well, it's better than nothing."

She closed the channel, and noticed at Atton's stare. "_Duraani, burc'ya?_" Atton's eyes went a little bit wider, but shook his head. Kiray leaned back into another chair and closed her eyes. She hoped the droid came through for them. Survival depended on it.


	4. Mechanical Confrontations

CHAPTER III: Mechanical Confrontations

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Kiray sighed and got up about fifteen minutes later to stretch her legs. Atton watched her, and she hoped that he wasn't getting fanciful ideas blurring his mind.

"So, uh, you speak Mandalorian?" he asked, "You sound like a native."

"Well maybe it's because I _am_," Kiray answered coldly. Atton's astounded look expanded even more.

"But you're a Jedi. Mandalorians can't be Jedi."

"Tell that to the Force, _vod_." That got Atton to shut up for a little while, allowing Kiray to do some stretches and try to meditate. However, her impatience at the droid was nagging at her, so she wasn't able to accomplish it completely.

"It must be hard," Atton spoke again. He was standing now, and his eyes were fixed to Kiray. "Being a Jedi. Not having a family, a husband..."

"No worse than having to endure your false sympathy while you're still staring at my chest," Kiray shot back, and before Atton could fire off a retort, the console beeped.

"Well, whaddya know. That little cargo cylinder came through," Atton said, checking the console. Kiray took a short glance over his shoulder and frowned.

"I would've thought that he'd at least contact us first," she commented, getting some strange vibes on this situation. Atton gave her a bored shrug and replied, "Well, if he got the turbolifts working, then there shouldn't be a problem."

"Actually, there wasn't a way to get the turbolifts up and running, so I had him open an emergency hatch."

"Wait, wait, wait. Don't tell me you're going into the mining tunnels?" Atton sounded very exasperated when he heard this development. "That explosion I heard came from _below_, and you're bound to run into mining droids along the way."

"Unless _you'd_ like to go down there?" Kiray said with a grin, gesturing out to the door into the passageways. Atton stepped away and replied, "On second thought, maybe not. But be careful down there."

He went back to the console and quickly picked something up, handing it to her. "So we can keep in touch," he reasoned as Kiray slid it onto a pouch latched to her belt, "And I might be able to talk you through the tunnels."

"Thanks, and your concern is noted," Kiray replied. Atton rolled his eyes and muttered, "Yeah, yeah. Don't get all mushy on me." Kiray gave him a grin and dashed out of the communications blister, out through the halls. When stowing the comlink, she'd noticed that she now had the one spike she needed to trace the order for the delayed sedative administered to her and the miners in their tanks.

Back at the medical computer, Kiray hacked the terminal, using the spike to get in and memorize the identification of the ordering terminal. However, for all she knew, that terminal was probably somewhere off-planet, but she didn't worry too much. After being certain she knew the ID code, Kiray strode away from the medical computer and towards the now-open emergency hatch. There was a ladder, and Kiray quickly descended into the tube, into the tunnels.

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To Kiray's immense surprise, there were very few droids down there, and she easily snuck past them all. She still hadn't found any clothes, and it was very cold down below.

"Atton, are there any kinds of emergency crates down here that possibly have something warmer than what I already have?" Kiray asked into the comlink. She envisioned Atton's shrug as he answered, with a lot of static marring the transmission, "Hey, I can't predict where this stuff's going to pop up. Still, be careful down there, cause you're getting close to something big."

"Lots of droids?'

"Bingo. So watch it, but if you can blind them somehow, or countermand their programming."

"And keep watching for clothes?" Atton paused at this, and Kiray could almost hear him muttering something along the lines of, "Can't let her find anything..."

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, nothing! Yeah, keep looking. It'll be distracting for the droids." Kiray rolled her eyes and signed off of the channel, evaluating her situation. There were two free-roaming Excavator droids, and dozens more scattered behind four containment fields. Kiray leisurely tossed sonic and ion grenades at them before approaching the central computer.

Kiray adeptly countermanded the organic mining protocols before shutting down the containment fields. Exploring the tunnels, she found a body that, thankfully, yet strangely, had a set of Matukai apprentice robes, which Kiray eagerly donned before making her way back and into another tunnel. Suddenly, as she traveled past a few droids and Excavators, Atton called her.

"What're you _doing _down there?" He asked. Kiray shrugged, holding the comlink close to her face, and replied, "Well, I did find some clothes, if that's any good news."

"_Dammit!_ I mean, good! Good to hear, uh...it was distracting to me also, you know..."

"Riiight. Now what's the bad news?"

"Um, well, the containment fields are shutting down all over the place. You need to get out of there." Kiray almost broke into a run to the turbolift, but held her place.

"How much time do I have?"

"Not sure, but I can hold it for a while," Atton answered, the static building slowly. "I'm shutting down the doors to the admin level, so you better move to find another way out."

"On my way!" Kiray answered, stowing away the comlink as she ran, robes billowing out behind her. She reached the turbolift just as the heat steadily built.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Kiray growled to the turbolift as it descended rather slowly, despite its name, and when the door opened, she rolled out as explosions rocked the tunnel.

"Whew! That was too close," Kiray muttered, walking forward, brushing little bits of debris from her robes. Something in the next room caught her eye, and she froze when she focused on it. A corpse of the man she'd noticed from a few recordings she'd picked up was lying prone. His legs were entirely burned away, and half of his right arm and face were similarly scarred. Kiray approached him and bent down, confirming he was both dead and the maintenance officer. Before she knew it, there was a clinking sound behind her.

"GREETING: Master, it is a pleasure to see you alive, if my photoreceptors are not entirely off-focus." Kiray spun around, holding her vibroblade defensively, and her face deepened into a scowl. She had never liked the _beshkar'ad_ of her people, and she downright disliked anything that closely resembled anything of an assassin droid. This one did not escape her notice; in fact, it closely resembled Revan's assassin droid, back from the Mandalorian Wars.

But this was not Revan's droid. Revan's droid would not have called her master, and it would not be painted silver-black with golden eyes. Kiray made a quick sign in the air, hoping the droid understood what it meant, as she continued her examination of the maintenance officer. Thankfully, it did, and marched off in what might have been a huff. Kiray was mercifully relieved as she stood and wandered over to the other side of the hallway. There was a workbench, a few broken droids that she raided for parts and components, and a plasteel cylinder that contained what the companion datapad called a sonic imprint sensor.

Instantly, Kiray wondered whether the maintenance officer had set up a voice code, which he probably had. If he was dead, then who would be the most likely to have the code? The assassin-like droid. Kiray's lip curled as she muttered, "_Haar'chak!_" and approached the droid.

"GREETING: It is a pleasure to see you intact Master," the droid said kindly, but with an edge that could only belong to an assassin. Kiray's eyes narrowed before pointing at the body.

"You mind telling me who that is?" she remarked, hoping the droid would be off-guard and give her every help possible.

The droid did answer, and Kiray listened as patiently as she could manage, but could barely take the droid's impudence. So, out of spite and annoyance, Kiray stabbed at it, bashing it with the flat of the blade against the head, and sweeping down into its torso, slicing through most of its circuitry. The droid wasn't armed, and Kiray ran quickly out of its blast radius as it exploded, along with a burst of static from the comlink.

"What the hell's going on? Where are you, I lost your signal!" Atton's voice was yelling over the channel. Kiray picked it up and answered, "Just beat an annoying protocol droid which I presume was an assassin model into slag. I've got other problems though."

"Shoot."

"Turns out the maintenance officer's dead, and he probably had a voice code for the way off of this level. Any ideas?"

"Look in terminals for records, and you should be able to scrap it together, make a fake."

"Sounds good to me. Hope to see you soon, but not directly."

"Huh?" Kiray didn't answer, but quickly closed the comlink channel, allowing her to open the door. There were no droids waiting on the other side, and Kiray proceeded to the purple energy fields.

They didn't lower when she activated the control.

"The lockdown's over, you stupid, worthless, _di'kutla, etyc chakaar_!" she yelled, kicking the force field multiple times. Kiray turned away from it then spun back around, stabbing it with her ionite-edged vibroblade. Amazingly, it _shnick_-ed and vanished, and Kiray tried to do the same on the next one. That didn't work at all, which allowed Kiray to shriek at the door in numerous languages with even worse names before turning on her heel and finding more doors at the other end.

The door directly in front of her opened, revealing at least five two-legged mining droids, but it made Kiray yawn as she fried them all with a combination of Force lightning and disable droid powers and moved unhurriedly past their smoking remains and into a side chamber, which had no droids and a terminal.

Kiray took Atton's advice and spliced together the code from the maintenance logs, playing it back to unlock the airlock door. It was undefended, and Kiray spent no more time and, taking a space suit with her, entered the airlock and out into vacuum.

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OK, translations for the Mando'a, cause I hate translating within the story. This is for all that's been posted so far, and here goes:

PROLOGUE:

aliik: clan marking

Aliit ori'shya taldin: Family is more than blood

Coruscanta: Coruscant. Duh.

Jetii: Jedi. Obvious, right?

Fett'oriya: Kind of means Fett capital city, or city of Fett. I don't know!

al'verde: commander

Akay dinui drashaar dral, cuyir dar'manda: Exactly what it says in the chapter

tal'galar: spill blood, bleed

dar'jetii: officially, without the apostrophe, this means Sith, but I did the conjunction in the usage not Jedi.

aay'han: bittersweet moment of mourning and joy

CHAPTER ONE:

jorad: voice

dala: woman

Tion'cuy: challenge; Who's there? Who are you?

kad, jetii'kad: saber of Mandalorian iron; lightsaber

Munit tome'tayl, skotah iisa: Long memory, short fuse. That's a summation of Mandalorian nature.

manda: being Mandalorian

CHAPTER TWO:

di'kutla ruug'la dala: useless old woman

re-; ret'lini: just in case. Kiray never got to say it.

Ne shab'rudu'ni, ordinii: Don't mess with me, moron. Strong language for Mandos.

Duraani, burc'ya?: You looking at me funny, mate?

CHAPTER THREE:

vod: friend, mate. Alternate to burc'ya

beskar'ad: droid

Harr'chak!: Damn it!

etyc: dirty

chakaar: corpse robber, thief...here, most likely junk


	5. Advent

CHAPTER IV: Advent

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Kiray hated the cumbersome suit from the first moment she donned it, but it was the only way for her to do this stupid and crazy idea of hers. Her goal was to get over to the miners' dormitories and search around for a way to get to the hangar bay and get to the freighter that, according to Kreia, they had arrived on.

She had only just made the first turn when she noticed the flaming gases. With a low growl, Kiray stepped forward slowly, waiting for the flow to at least slacken. When it did, she raced across the vents, not even caring if a little bit of the suit burned off. Kiray grinned to herself as she walked in front of the blister window, and hearing Atton's voice in her ear.

"There's your signal. Lost it after you got that assassin droid. But the strange thing is, I'm getting you outside, on the asteroid surface, but that can't be right."

"Really?" Kiray queried, "Then maybe you should look up from that console and take a look." She watched as Atton's head popped up, and barely saw his jaw slacken and drop in surprise. Just to prove a point, Kiray leaped up a few meters in the air, spinning around once before the magnets on her boots latched her firmly back to the metal walkway.

"You're crazy, for a Mandalorian or a Jedi," Atton answered, his head shaking. Kiray couldn't help cracking a grin and replying, "Yeah, well, it would be easier if there weren't streams of Peragian fuel in my way."

"That's what I needed to tell you," Atton said very apologetically, "I don't know who did it, but that fuel's only been rerouted in just the last few minutes."

"Can't you shut it down?"

"Negative. Only have communications up here, remember?"

Kiray frowned to herself. The only other people who could possibly be alive in the facility were the miners, and before she'd taken care of the droid, it had mentioned that they were probably already dead.

Unless her would-be killer wasn't a living organism, so to speak...

"Is anything else going on? Sure you can't shut anything down?"

"Listen, you idiot, I just told you I only have communications – oh what now?!" Atton grumbled as he bent down over the console once more. Shock tinged his voice as he spoke again, "I don't believe it. There's a ship coming in, transmitting a docking signal." He shook his head as he straightened. "I've got a _bad _feeling about this..."

"Same here, _burc'ya_," Kiray muttered.

(CUTSCENE. No one is actually seeing this, just want it because of how it makes me feel creeped out.)

_A Republic cruiser appeared out of hyperspace, skirting the asteroids expertly. At her helm, the crewmen were dead, save one: a crouching man, scarred and half-blind, holding a lightsaber. He rocks back and forth, as if focused on the task of managing the immense craft alone. The ship spirals through the field, towards the facility._

(End of cutscene)

Kiray watched as the cruiser pulled in, and her eyes went wide as she analyzed the markings. This ship was the _Harbinger_, one that had picked her up from her place of exile, before she had woken up here on Peragus. Still stunned and amazed, she tried to activate her comlink, but Atton's end was off. Kiray stomped her foot in frustration, and then noticed the fuel line stretching from the facility to the ship itself.

She put the pieces together, and there was a plan. However, she needed to get back to the admin level, and she was without doubt that her second would-be killer was waiting in the maintenance area, so she couldn't just turn around. So, she made her way forward, past another open fuel vent that only lightly scorched her, and into the dormitories.

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Kiray was instantly set against five "crabs" as soon as she came out of the airlock, and there was a maintenance drone that appeared. Kiray, however, was able to take care of three of the droids after hitting the drone and wreak havoc on the other two with her vibroblade. Inside the plasteel cylinder was yet another blade, and an armored flight suit that Kiray could envision Atton in. Kiray tightened her grip on the new weapon, and swung her twin blades in a few experimental katas, before opening the next door. Two "bums" and two crabs waited for her on the other side, and Kiray found it no problem to destroy them.

Behind a security door was a workbench and several lockers, and Kiray took them time to upgrade her robes and the new blade before continuing into a cafeteria. There were two carbonite projectors in it, and Kiray easily drew a pair of mining lasers and shot them easily, crossing the empty cafeteria boldly. However, her suspicions were still being proven; there were no living miners, just dead and frozen bodies side by side with droids.

"_Rangir!_" Kiray growled as she kicked aside the bodies and opened yet another door, revealing a carbonite-shooting droid and another bum, but it was too easy to stop them from freezing her, and she located another terminal. She yawned and stretched before activating it, reading a log and checking out the cameras.

_Hello, what have we here?_ Kiray thought to herself, seeing streams of poison gas running out of vents in the floor. She quickly hacked into the air cyclers and turned off the flow of gas, and ended the lockdown on the dorms. The door behind her opened, but she was a little cautious with heading in there now, so she followed the turn in the passageway and emerged in another cafeteria, with more carbonite projectors and a few droids and drones, which she all destroyed with ease.

There was an adjoining room to the second cafeteria, filled with two carbon-freezers and four Excavators, and, with handy work with vibroblades and grenades, got them all. A door on one side led to a turbolift that was, sadly, locked down. It probably led to the admin level too. However, Kiray settled for the camera records, and they proved very interesting.

The last users of the turbolift had been three miners, one of them named Coorta. It appeared that it had been Coorta's idea to smuggle her off of Peragus, and had recruited two confederates and the "maintenance officer" to help.

Coorta and his two accomplices had reached the turbolift as the gas had been activated. Coorta kept talking to the maintenance officer throughout the whole thing, and the strangest thing happened at the end of the recording.

"You! Why are you doing this?!" Coorta's image shouted, "WHY ME?"

"You? It was never about you," the voice of the maintenance officer answered, "The Jedi is all that interests me, but you had to reveal her identity.

"STATEMENT: You are a threat, Coorta. You are arrogant, rash, and soon, deceased." Kiray was shocked at the sudden appearance of the assassin droid's voice, but other things took precedent. Three recorded bums appeared, shooting the three miners without another command. Kiray almost shrieked as one of the recorded miners fell to her feet, right where the real corpse lay.

The assassin droid called smugly, "MOCKING QUERY: Coorta? Coorta, are you dead _yet_? SMUG STATEMENT: I believe I forgot to mention that I reversed the turbolift codes...just in case you got this far." Kiray shook her head as the holorecording faded away, thinking, _Boy, that droid was smart, but not smart enough for me_. But she still needed to find the code, reverse it, and get onto the _Harbinger_ before things got too out of hand.

Kiray backtracked to the terminal, not facing any droids in her way, and went into the dormitories. There was at least one bum in the hallways leading to each separate dorm, but they were easily taken out from a distance via grenades or Force powers, allowing Kiray to explore the dorms without attacks.

The Mandalorian easily found the mining administrator's hololog, but she was only able to get the first three numbers: seven, thirteen, and twenty-one. Something caught her eye, though, and it caused her to play the recording again. There it was! Military flash code, right at the corner of the recorded room, revealing an X and three short dots. _Five and three, which means the new code, is...three, five, twenty-one, thirteen, seven! I'm SO outta here!_ Kiray thought joyously as she ran back to the turblift and typed the code. The door opened without another argument, and, uncharacteristically for any Mandalorian, she skipped down the hallway and into the turbolift.

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By the way, rangir To hell with this!


	6. Harbinger

CHAPTER V: _Harbinger_

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Kiray emerged from the lift and only needed to take a few steps before the door in front of her opened. Standing before her was Kreia, and Kiray couldn't help letting one of her hackles start twitching. She knew she couldn't trust anyone, but she knew Atton was indeed trying to help her and himself get out of here. The old woman, however, was a mystery. Kiray's instincts said not to trust her, and so she didn't, but Kiray knew she couldn't kill the woman now; she wasn't strong enough, and there was also the possibility that Kreia had powers that Kiray couldn't combat.

"Quickly; we must leave this place," Kreia said imperiously. Kiray allowed herself to cock an eyebrow in amusement and replied, "I'm guessing the ship that just docked isn't containing any friends of yours?"

"They are not friends to you, either," Kreia answered coldly, "But we need to board their ship if we are to escape this place.

"If the airlock doors are already open, as I sense they are, then we must move quickly," Kreia finished, causing Kiray to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Are you quite finished? If this enemy is so dangerous, perhaps we should get moving," Kiray queried sarcastically, causing Kreia to frown and turn away. Kiray walked forward and palmed to her a pair of mining lasers before sauntering down the passages towards the communications blister. However, when they were about halfway there, Kiray paused, listening. "Was it just me," she thought aloud, "or did I just hear a couple of stealth generators activate?"

Kreia shrugged, but Kiray stepped backward farther and father away from the old woman until, just out of the corner of her eyes, the Mandalorian Jedi saw the faint shimmer of stealth fields. She grinned, gave Kreia a wink, and released a shriek that was fortified by the Force. The assassins howled as the sonic attack ripped through them, forcing them to crumple to the floor, dead. Kiray frowned as she examined the bodies. They were clad in entirely black clothing, save for two red eye-holes on their masks. In their hands weren't lightsabers, but near-harmless quarterstaffs.

"You know these types?" she asked Kreia, who nodded and examined them for herself.

"They hunt on those strong in the Force," Kreia explained, "The stronger their prey, the stronger they are."

"Is that the best our enemy can unleash?" Kiray asked, letting some contempt leak into her voice. Kreia gave Kiray a hard gaze and answered, "As you become stronger, you will be discovered much easier. But enough chatter. We must get to the _Harbinger_."

"All right! Don't get your shorts in a twist!" Kiray sighed as they were underway again. No more assassins or droids appeared, and they reached the communications blister without problems.

Kiray ran towards Atton, Kreia following, and the scoundrel turned around to see the both of them.

"Who's this? Another Jedi?" Atton asked as he glanced back and forth between Kreia and Kiray, then sarcastically added, "You start reproducing while I wasn't looking?"

"No. Atton, Kreia, Kreia, Atton. Now, before we get overrun with Sith, let's get onto that cruiser," Kiray said very quickly, causing Atton to raise his eyebrows.

"Uh, okay. I guess the ship that just docked actually _doesn't_ contain any friends of yours?" Kiray just shook her head as Kreia answered coldly, "If your ability for understatement is matched by your skill with a blaster, then we should be well-able to defend ourselves."

Atton gave Kreia a hard look and answered just as coolly, "Yeah, and I'm also good at running and drinking, your majesty." Kiray shushed them and growled, "Cut the chatter, we've got company. Atton, take these." She handed Atton the armored flight suit and a blaster pistol before turning to face their new opponent.

"You've been a hard gel to find, Kiray, but I guess you knew ya couldn't get away from me, aye?" the Mandalorian bounty hunter said easily. Kiray frowned and muttered, "Scum of the universe, bounty hunters. Can't see why you of all people, Juntas, would abandon our people."

Juntas Mereel gave Kiray a cold grin. His black as night eyes were icy, not like the old Juntas's eyes had been, glinting with either laughter or exultation in battle. His black hair was now streaked with steel-gray, and his armor was tattered and worn. Kiray could hardly recognize him.

"You know this one?' Kreia asked. Kiray nodded, but kept her eyes riveted to Juntas, then replied, "He and I were once engaged, before I went to the Temple on Coruscant."

"Yeah, and you're a traitor to your people, _Fett'ad_," Juntas said with the barest traces of anger. His hands were tense over a pair of Mandalorian heavy pistols as the two _Mando'ade_ stared each other down. Atton, who was now armed and ready, saw the man and instantly hissed to Kiray, "How are we taking him out?"

"Just me and him. This has nothing to do with either you or Kreia. Let me handle this," she whispered brusquely, and stepped forward, blades ready. Juntas's pistols found their way into his hands, and he was instantly firing off at her. Atton fired at him, and scored a hit in the sensitive place. Juntas groaned and crumpled, allowing Kiray to leap in at that moment and slice down his back, causing Juntas to roar in agony.

"_K'atini_!" Kiray shouted as she danced away, dodging the blade Juntas drew. His anger boiled, controlling him. Kiray's anger, though, was ice-cold, and she could manipulate it.

He tried to stab her, but Kiray sidestepped it and slapped him across the face with the flat of one of her blades. Kiray attacked with a flurry of blows, cutting through the rags of armor to flesh, leaving three tracks of blood. Before Juntas could even react, Kiray leaped into the air, bringing the blades crashing down against his skull. The crack of bone was very loud, and, as Kiray settled back on her feet, Atton winced as he watched Juntas's bloodied form collapse to the floor.

"What else should we know about this guy?" Atton asked as Kiray looted the body, finding the pair of pistols and his _kad_ before rising and noticing the faint gleam of something he was laying on. With wide eyes, Kiray reached for it, rolling the corpse off of it. She gasped as she picked it up, and held it out like it was sacred.

"What is that?" Atton asked, cutting off a snide remark as he glanced at the suit. It was black with gleaming cyan plates covering it. Kiray's eyes were teary as she whispered so softly that Atton could barely hear it.

"It is my armor, from home. How long it has been since I wore it." Kiray slowly turned around, and, shedding the robes, put her armor on herself. Atton realized now what this meant for Kiray: she had recovered her Mandalorian soul, and she was halfway complete. He smiled at her emcouragingly as she strapped the final piece in place and stood, proud and tall at five-foot-six, and Kiray returned the grin.

"Come, we have wasted too much time with the bounty hunter," Kreia hastened, and Kiray faced the old woman with a cocky grin. Atton waited with bated breath as Kiray spoke in her native language.

"_Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur._" The grin widened as she translated, "Today is a good day for someone else to die." Kiray raced up the umbilical, Atton following close behind, and Kreia not so close, and the trio boarded the massive cruiser.

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Kiray frowned as she took a few steps into the _Harbinger_. She knew that there had to be someone on board, and yet...there was no one.

"It is strange," Kreia began, "but I sense no one on board."

"You 'sense' no one on board?" Atton said sarcastically, "Yeah, like I trust you. I'll take the word of a Mandalorian Jedi over you anyday!"

"She's right, Atton," Kiray muttered, turning to face her arguing companions. "There _is_ no one on board." Atton was dumbstruck at Kiray's disheartening statement. Kiray shrugged and added, "Unless you count any Sith that might be hovering around."

Atton's lip curled as he scoffed, "You two are supposed to be _Jedi_! You're the worst Jedi I've ever met!"

"Not to late to dump you back in your cell to starve," Kiray said rather cheerily. Atton frowned and pouted on his own as Kreia grumbled, "We cannot go back. This is the only way to reach the _Ebon Hawk_ and escape Peragus."

"But there's another problem with that plan!" Atton growled, "Your ship doesn't have the asteroid drift charts. You could try to fly outta here without 'em, unless you want to make the galaxy's shortest flight out of here."

"Then how did this ship dock?" Kiray questioned. Atton's already sour look turned worse.

"Well of course _they_ have the charts. They'd need to."

"Be silent!" Kreia broke in, "I must concentrate." Kiray and Atton both rolled their eyes and stated, "You do that." Then their eyes met and quickly separated as they each began thinking.

"How about we pull a copy of their drift charts and re-load it onto the _Hawk_?" Kiray suggested. Atton shrugged, but looked thoughtful. Kreia's usual frown quirked just a bit and answered, "That is a sound plan. Let us accomplish it."

Kiray nodded, glad to have come up with it, and found herself watching Atton. He yawned and stretched, and Kiray couldn't help but wonder just how he had gotten so well-muscled. However, she was kept from further wondering as Kreia's voice cut through her reverie like a knife.

"Our enemy gathers while we wait!"

"I'm sorry, Kreia," Kiray apologized half sincerely, "I'll try and be more mindful of the present." Which wasn't really the problem; Kiray had a very strong connection to the living Force, but Kreia didn't know that. The old woman cocked a grin and bowed her head.

"Very well. Let us move on." Kiray nodded and jabbed to the right, leading her team towards one side of a door. Something Kiray had been taught quietly slipped into her mind, echoing in her father's voice.

"Always remember, Kiray, the squad is your weapon. _Traat'aliit gar besbe'trayc_." With those words, Kiray gestured to Atton to open the door and silently passed him the stealth generator. He gave her a wink, activated the belt, and quietly passed through the opening doorway, vanishing from sight. Kiray and Kreia waited, and then three clicks from the comlink echoed around the hallway. With a nod, Kiray led Kreia into the command bridge.

And she stopped dead in her tracks.


	7. Pain

CHAPTER VI: Pain

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Bodies. Hundreds of dead Republic soldiers were scattered. Kiray could feel more, just barely, throughout the ship, and the magnitude of death struck her like a stone. Kreia walked amongst the corpses without bother and Atton just looked very, very confused.

"Don't know what's going on," he muttered as he gestured to the navicomputer. "Take a look at the logs. They've chilled my back through and through." Kiray looked at him before signing onto the computer and delving into the holologs.

"The last one's the worst," Atton hissed, but that only caused Kiray to activate it. The captain appeared, talking away about how he'd sent a report to his commander and wondering about strange disappearances on board before an ensign appeared.

"Sir! There's a stream coming in from medbay!"

A shriek rang through the bridge, the shattering of broken glass, and a grating voice rumbled ominously, "I have come for the Jedi." Kiray shivered as the images vanished before giving Atton a look. He flung his hands up and said, "What? I did get the drift charts, you know!"

"Good. Now let's get out of here," Kiray said coolly, working her way around the bridge with Atton and Kreia following her. Kiray opened the door to find four Sith assassins waiting. Her backup fired at any that Kiray didn't fell with a monstrous scream or her blades, and they were soon finished.

They wandered through their section of the ship, only coming across teams of three or four assassins a few times, before Kiray ended up in the escape pod bay. However, it was locked down, so the three of them could not shoot off into space, which was fine by the entire group. There were no serious injuries as they came across five or more assassins, and Kiray found the conference room, bringing up the most recent record.

The captain appeared again, and he was talking to what, at first, appeared to be thin air. Then a double-recorded image appeared, and Kiray found herself face-to-face, if not directly, with Admiral Carth Onasi. It appeared that he'd wanted the _Ebon Hawk_ badly, trying to find hints of someone's fate (a lost love, maybe, Kiray figured.), and quickly signed off. The captain was musing to himself when the least expected person appeared.

"QUERY: You sent for me, captain?"

"Ah, yes. I need you to check on the passenger again, make sure there isn't anything she needs. Just don't be too obvious about it."

The assassin droid nodded and replied, "STATEMENT: Of course, captain! As always, it is my pleasure to serve!" Kiray growled indiscernibly as the image faded, and Atton gave Kiray a glance.

"That the droid you ran into?" he asked, getting only a taciturn nod in reply as Kiray turned on her boot's heel and out of the conference room. Atton tried to catch Kreia's eye (if she had any) and try and get answers out of her, but he had no such luck, and settled for following Kiray and Kreia out to the next section of the ship.

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Kiray sliced into two troop quarters and retrieved a few paltry items before stopping in front of a third. Kiray's eyes went wide and she jogged forward, analyzing the door.

"What is it?" Atton questioned, this time determined to get an answer, "Why are we stopping?"

"Hold on," Kiray muttered, "This was my room."

"_Your_ room? When?"

"Before I woke up on Peragus. There are a few things I left behind that I need to pick up."

"Whatever you need to do, do it quickly," Kreia grumbled, earning herself another pair of eyerolls as Kiray opened the door and dashed for the footlocker, popping it open. Inside was a datapad, a slim armband, a stim, and another set of Mandalorian armor that Kiray had crafted herself during her tenure in exile. Her amber eyes flicked from her old set to the one she had made herself, and soon shot Atton a glare that told him to leave pronto. He ran across the passageway, hacked the door to those quarters, and slid inside. Kiray shed her older armor and put on the new-ish set. This one also had a black bodyglove, but covered with silver and navy stripings, but dominated by the navy. Kiray called Atton in and passed him her original set, and he tried to refuse. This was her original soul, after all.

"No, Atton, this is not me, not any longer. The Kiray who wore that was pure Mando, not half Mando and half Jedi," she argued, and Atton grudgingly wore it, but soon felt its warmth, her joy of life filling it, and not vestiges of a dark past like Atton's jacket barely covered. He nodded a confirmation to Kiray, who handed the Matukai robes to Kreia, and the rearmored group made their way through the crew quarters, fending off more assassins and exploring heavily. Kiray left no stone unturned, and when they were done, Kiray led them into the maintenance level.

It was cold down there. Not by temperature, but because of a darkness flooding the area. The threesome stopped at the first junction as Atton pointed out, "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't we all?" Kiray said in reply, glancing around, hoping to the Force that there were no assassins creeping up on them. "Look, we just have to get to the fuel line and we'll be all right, 'kay? Let's get rolling!"

"All right, but trust me, if there's something wrong and neither of you pick up on it, I'm outta here," Atton muttered, allowing Kiray to stick her tongue out at him before walking forward and towards another junction. Kiray stopped again, holding up a closed fist.

"Is it just me," she whispered, "Or is there someone watching us from behind?" Biting her lip, Kiray spun around, and instantly regretted it. Kreia and Atton turned to look as well, and Kiray felt the cold creep closer.

Standing at the door to the turbolift was a man so scarred and deformed that he looked dead. His skin was cracked and peeling, and while one of his eyes was a molted gold, the other was milky white in blindness. Kreia straightened and drew a huge vibrosword. Kiray gaped at the sword for a moment, and quickly closed her gaping jaw.

"Go on. I am not defenseless," Kreia assured her, and jogged back to the threshold back the way they had come. The old woman turned back and called, "He cannot fight what he cannot see, and power has blinded him long ago. _Run_. I will be along shortly."

With that, she ran through the doorway, closing as she ran. Kiray sighed before glancing at Atton, saying, "And you call me crazy." The scoundrel replied with only a shake of his head, and Kiray sighed. Why couldn't she stop staring at him? It was getting annoying, and Kiray could not for the life of her figure out why. She shook her short brown locks and led Atton to the right, into a room that had three footlockers with weaponry and armor upgrades and a workbench. Kiray was careful as she installed a biorestorative underlay on Atton's suit, along with a sound dampening overlay, and strengthening underlays and tough durasteel overlays on her own before proceeding back to the junction and turned left. Kiray was bored, and cut a long scratch into the wall with her newfound double-bladed sword.

There was a terminal in this chamber, and Kiray worked away at it until she was certain that the maintenance hatch was open. When it was, Kiray led Atton silently into the engine maintenance areas, and along the spidery catwalks until they came across another terminal. Kiray went to work on that one as well, and the hatch into the fuel area opened.

Atton watched as she approached it, and stopped dead.

"Nuh-uh. I am not going back to the facility through the fuel line, and that's final!" he cried angrily, crossing his arms in defiance. Kiray gave him a long look, hands on hips, and replied rather coolly, "Atton, there's two ways we can do this. Either you come with me, and trust my judgement, or I force you to come."

"And how do you force me?" Atton challenged. Kiray gave him a small, indiscreet smile and a penetrating stare. He felt his legs moving forward, even though he hadn't told them to...

"Hey! That's not funny, Fett!" Atton yelled, and his legs stopped moving instantly. Kiray pouted like a little girl, giving him a puppy dog stare. Atton sighed in defeat and declared, "All right, but I know I'm gonna regret this."

(CUTSCENE)

_He stood stock-still, waiting, sensing._

_"I feel you, my Master," he rumbled in a low, grating voice, "faint, weak."_

_"Your senses betray you, as you betrayed me," she answered coldly. He allowed a grin to play across his face, although it pained him to do so._

_"And so you live. You are difficult to kill." He began walking forward. In the spastic light, Kreia's old and weathered face faded and reappeared before fading again._

_"Have you learned nothing? Appearances always deceive."_

_"Your words mean nothing!" he growled, "No longer do your whispers crawl within my skull. No longer do we suffer under teachings that weaken us." Kreia walked forward into the light as he continued, "And now you run in search of the Jedi. They are all dead, save one, and one broken Jedi cannot stop the darkness that is to come."_

_Kreia gave him an icy grin. "Perhaps. We shall see." She readied her vibrosword, holding it tight. He drew his lightsaber in a thrum of crimson light, spinning around and slicing the blade through flesh. Kreia groaned as her hand fell to the floor, and she clutched her bare wrist in pain._

(End cutscene)

Kiray yelped as she grinned at Atton, grabbing her left wrist as it seared painfully, like molten lava was pouring onto it, burning away her hand. Kiray collapsed to the floor, chanting, "_K'atini,_ it's only pain, _k'atini_, it's only paiiiinnnn, ooooowwwww."

"What – are you okay?" Atton asked, racing to her side. Kiray grabbed her head in her hands and groaned as the pain only worsened. "Damn it, it's only a little farther! Don't give up on me now, Kiray!" She groaned again, and carefully straightened up.

"I'm good, I'm good," she said calmly, if not just a tiny bit shaky. Atton helped her up anyways, asking, "What happened to you?"

"I don't know," Kiray answered, staring at her free hand. "I – I think Kreia got injured, bad. Maybe lost her hand."

"Well, if that's it, then that pain's buying us time to get out of here," Atton concluded, "As long as Sleeps-With-Vibroblades doesn't get bored with her as a plaything and come after _us_."

"You're right, Atton. We need to get going, and that's through the fuel line. Let's get going."

With that, Kiray led Atton into the line, back into the mining facility.


	8. Escape

CHAPTER VII: Escape

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Kiray and Atton emerged in one of the fuel lines back in the mining facility, and they both had to brush the residue of fuel from their armor.

"Remind me to never do that again," Atton grumbled, earning himself a nod fro Kiray, who added, "Maybe we should not even come back here. Once we're gone, I mean."

"Sure," Atton said smartly, "If it works for you, then it works for me." Kiray grinned at the scoundrel and slowly proceeded forward. Kiray's eyes noticed something silvery on the farther end, and she ran towards it. Atton grumbled something about her short attention span as he ran after her. Kiray stopped in front of the object, which appeared to be a utility droid.

"Utility droid," Atton said coolly, "Looks like it's been disabled by an ion charge."

"Can you let me figure things out for myself for a change, Rand?" Kiray demanded, and Atton quickly stepped back, hands raised, as Kiray bent down to examine the droid, fiddling with some wires until a long trail of electronic groans emerged from the little droid.

"Yeah, I ran into the 'protocol' droid, too. Gave him a good dose of steel, cortosis, and ions, but he's gone now," Kiray replied to the droid. "You good to travel?"

The utility droid beeped an affirmative before emitting a rather sorrowful tone.

"C'mon, T3, it's not _your_ fault I had to run into him," Kiray soothed, "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have gotten this far, would we, Atton?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, you've been a great help, T3." Atton said, caught off guard at Kiray's sudden question but quickly taking it in stride. T3 beeped a few times in a more reassured manner before falling behind Atton, who muttered, "Why do we need the storage container following us at every moment?"

"Because he's the only person – or rather, thing – that we can trust on this entire rock," Kiray replied as she bent down to a steel case that held a conduit that looked frayed, and then disarming and recovering a mine. She jumped up and finished, "Besides, T3 just might know this part of the facility better than we do, eh?"

Atton rolled his eyes and conceded; he was slowly earning the opinion that Mandalorians hated it when others did not accept what they said to the letter, and he could feel frustration waving off of her as she calmly opened the door.

"Ah, more droids," she said as she caught sight of a stream of crabs, "Nearly forgot what it was like fighting them. Shall we, boys?" Atton grinned and shook his head, but readied his guns as T3 popped open a top hatch on its head, revealing a multi-weapon. Kiray's sword hummed through the air as she artfully prepped it, and the three of them charged.

Three regular crabs went down, along with a drone and one of the Excavators, before they stopped to rest at the next fuel line.

"You know something?" Atton shouted as he fired at one last mining droid at its head, causing it to drop. Kiray was recovering the next mine and called out, "What?"

"There are too many droids in this place. Why can't we just locate a master control switch and shut them all off?"

"'Cause there isn't one, sadly. Besides, how much fun would that be?"

"Not much."

"Exactly," Kiray declared as she plucked the mine off of the floor of the line. Atton hated that she had such a keen sense of uncombatable logic, and reluctantly followed her into the next area, which had two Excavators, two regular droids, and one drone. Atton, along with a blast of lightning from T3, took care of the drone, in the process of the explosion taking out one Excavator and one regular crab. Kiray slashed at the other two droids with a flurry of blows and a well-placed critical strike before easily reaching the final line and claiming that bomb.

"What do you say is beyond that door?" Kiray asked, pointing at the final door. T3 twittered something about a full legion of crabs and drones, while Atton predicted, "I'll say three Excavator models, two drones, and four regular mining droids."

"I'll say..." Kiray took a quick sense through the door, reporting, "...just two Excavator bums. I'll lay ten credits on it." Atton shook his head, T3 beeped mournfully, and Kiray smiled crazily as she opened the door. Indeed, there were only two class-two Excavator droids, and Kiray sliced them with one set of flurries each, far before Atton or T3 could ready their blasters.

"Well? Let's get to the hangar," Kiray said as she backtracked to a ramp between the second and third fuel lines. Atton continued grumbling and earned himself an accusing stare before Kiray busied herself at an emergency field station. The energy field lowered, allowing four bums to come and attack them. A successful combination of Kiray's bladework, Atton's shooting skill, and T3's special shock arm allowed them to stop the droids before there was even an immediate sign of danger for the lot of them.

T3 rapidly led the way into the hangar, but stopped right before they proceeded into a hallway that was filled with bums.

"Is that all?" Kiray asked, pointing at the droids in the adjoining hall. T3 twittered something to an effect of that there was another pack of droids on the other side of the hangar, one that he couldn't access earlier. Atton simply ignored the short exchange, but instantly paid attention as Kiray turned to him.

"Should we use grenades to take them out easily, or just wade on in?" she asked, throwing glances towards the mass of droids. There was about three regular bum droids and three Excavator bums, and, thankfully, no drones to fix them. Atton gave Kiray an easy look and answered, "Well, wading in means we might get separated. Grenades mean that we can get swarmed if we're not careful."

"So what should we do?"

"Wade right on in, but staying close."

"Okay. Let's go." Without another word, Kiray ran through the doorway, screaming in Mando'a, while Atton and the little utility droid raced in after her, cleaning up after Kiray's huge swings and hackings through metal and circuitry, until all the droids were crumpled masses along the floor, and they were safely on the other side of the passageway.

Atton saw the other door and ran for it, trying to open it.

"Damn, it's magnetically sealed. Got anything that can slice through this, or at least get us past this thing?" Kiray shrugged, but T3 beeped and yowled wildly, and Kiray could barely follow the information stream.

"Whoa, slow down," she said, holding up a hand to stop the flow. "Now, what were you saying about the terminal?" T3 repeated what he was saying earlier, but much slower, and Kiray could easily follow it.

"Huh? What's the cargo cylinder saying?" Atton said in his typical sarcasm. Kiray shook her head. Even though she was no fan of droids, either, she recognized the necessity of at least utility droids, and sometimes even assassins made sense to her.

"T3 says that he can slice the computer above to get the door open," Kiray replied simply. Atton cracked his neck and stated, "Well, if he can get the door open, we have a clear run to the ship." Kiray gave T3 a nod, and the droid raced up the ramp, accessing the terminal. Kiray heard faint mutterings of annoyance before the little automaton spun around, screeching that the conduit was missing, and Kiray tossed the fragment up to the ramp.

The wait was shorter now, and the door popped open. Atton shouted, "Hey!" before firing at a charging Excavator bum. Kiray leaped an astounding distance, finding herself at Atton's side as she struck the droid, causing it to spark and sputter, collapsing in a heap. Atton watched as Kiray kept leaping down the next passageway, clearing out the droids, even the ones that came down a side door, all too easily.

She turned, seeing Atton staring at her, and her eyebrows crashed into a deep V. "What're you looking at, hotshot? _Oya beskar'ad_!"

"Huh?"

"Let's hunt droids! C'mon, T3, we're almost there." The droid whirred past Atton, who just walked towards the Jedi, still gaping, and Kiray led them down, disabling mines and shocking droids along the way until they reached a decontamination center.

"T3, if you will," Kiray said kindly to the droid, which rolled up to a computer and set to work. The poison streams soon vanished, and Kiray, Atton, and T3 were all able to reach the _Ebon Hawk_ without attacks.

Kiray gazed at the heap of a ship. Its hull was painted orange and white, and she could barely recognize it as a Corellian YT-1000. And yet it appeared fast, and fast was, at the moment, exactly what they needed.

"We're not going anywhere while we stand and stare at this junk," Atton moaned, and Kiray found herself shuffling forward rather unwillingly.

Boarding the ship was easy, but soon they were set upon by legions of Sith troopers.

"Quick! Get the guns online, we can't let them board!" Kiray shouted as she slid into the flexing copilot's seat, which suddenly collapsed as the belly gun stretched out underneath. Atton frantically worked at getting the engines on, listening as the also-hurried thrum of the cannon as Kiray killed every trooper before they even got close to the ramp.

Kiray soon emerged, and Atton was already shouting for the ship to take off, and, without warning, Kreia appeared, clutching a handless wrist.

"Good, I'm glad you showed up!" Atton called sarcastically while getting the ship up and off of the platform. Kiray frosted Atton with his fourth Look and asked, "Are you all right, Kreia? I felt –"

"There is no time!" the old woman barked, "We must leave this place, _now_!"

Atton wasted no more time, and the _Ebon Hawk_ rather gracefully rose from its hangar, shooting automatically at the remaining Sith, and they shot out of the asteroid, dodging the turbolaser batteries of the _Harbinger_ as it undocked to pursue the escaping vessel. The missing shots scored against the asteroids, and it caused Kiray to worry.

"If we keep this up, we might end up going up with the rest of this field," Kiray said, feeling anxiety leaking through her bones. Atton frowned at his seat as he nodded.

"If they end up blowing a big asteroid, we're dead," he grumbled, "and if we get hit, well, we're dead anyway. That's great odds."

"What of the asteroids?" Kreia asked, "We can destroy them as they can."

"Only if we want to make the whole system go nova!" Kiray growled, fixing her gaze outside, then ordering, "Keep as much distance between us and them, and don't fire at the asteroids."

"Got it! Just hang on, this might get _rocky_," Atton acknowledged, chuckling at his play on words.

The _Ebon Hawk_ raced through the field, dodging every blast, racing out just as the Sith blew up one of the big asteroids. The _Hawk_ just barely edged out of the radius as the entire field exploded violently, the flames engulfing the _Harbinger_, and the stock freighter vanished into hyperspace.

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"You two have explaining to do!" Atton shouted in annoyance, "Because between Mandalorian mercenaries, a Sith Lord who looks like he sleeps with vibroblades, and getting fired at by a Republic warship, I was better off in my cell!"

"The Republic warship was the _Harbinger_," Kreia replied icily, "It was taken over by the Sith on its way to Telos. They sought _you_, Jedi."

"If someone calls me a Jedi one more time..." Kiray grumbled, then quickly relaxed, asking, "Why would they be looking for me? And why was the _Harbinger_ headed for Telos?"

"You have many questions, but I do not believe now is the time to answer them all," Kreia returned, "However, if you have highly pressing matters to ask, come and find me in the crew quarters. There we may talk in peace."

"Oh, don't stop complaining on my account," Atton began sarcastically, "I was about to shout some more."

"Alone, we will also be spared from the opinions of fools and imbeciles!" Kriea finished, turning on her heel and out of the cockpit. Kiray stuck her tongue out at the departing figure, muttering, "Decrepit old thing. I don't need to talk to her." Kiray settled in the copilot's seat and turned her gaze to Atton.

"So what's been happening since the end of the _Mando'ade_ Wars?" Kiray asked. Atton shrugged, replying, "Well, I think I told you back at Peragus that Revan and Malak turned on each other after becoming Sith, right? Well, Revan got herself captured by the Jedi, and then she went after Malak. After getting Malak dead as a doornail, she vanished."

"Vanished? The hero of the Republic just falls off the face of the galaxy? Sounds impossible," Kiray said, causing Atton to shrug.

"Well, as I said earlier, I wouldn't know. I never knew Revan personally." Atton paused his work, giving himself a glance at Kiray before asking, "Well, as long as our trip to Telos is going to take, we might as well settle in."

"So that's where we're headed? Telos?"

"Yeah. You thought Peragus was dead, Telos is a world the Republic's trying to bring back to life. But, if we had a decent navicomputer, we'd be dropping off in the Nar Shaddaa Red Sector right now!"

"Why not a place I can get by on without people getting scared that I'm a Mandalorian?" Kiray was staring at Atton now, and it wasn't out of admiration. He shrugged, and added, "Anyway, if you want to check our course, you can check the map on the wall behind you."

"I'll do that, then," Kiray replied, standing up from the rather comfortable chair and approaching the map. Atton cleared his throat and asked, "So, uh, what happened?"

"To what?"

"Come on, don't give me that!" he wheedled, "There were loads of times back there when a lightsaber could've come in handy. Where's yours?"

"Exiles aren't allowed to keep their lightsabers," Kiray answered dully.

"Oh yeah? I thought a Jedi was married to their lightsaber, made it a part of themselves. By the way, were you a single-hilt or a double-bladed Jedi?"

"Double-bladed."

"Ah. Lots of Jedi in the Mandalorian Wars used that style. More slaughter a swing, or so they say. Most of those had red blades. Did you?"

"No."

"Well, what color then?"

"Imagine a stream of a bright crystalline ocean, undirtied, reflecting the light. That was my blade."

"Wow. Sounds like it was something to see."

"It was. Now, if you don't mind, I'm making sure we hit Telos." Kiray quickly shoved away the memories that Atton had called up, especially the color of her beautiful lightsaber, and ran through the coordinates to Telos.

The rest of their journey was in silence.

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NO MORE PERAGUS! Yes!

Now, on to Telos. Kiray is going to find some more old friends, make new ones, and get herself in a boatload of trouble.


	9. Incarceration

CHAPTER VIII: Incarceration

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Telos was definitely a dead rock. Most of its surface was tinted red, black, and white, with very few streaks of green, a result of the Ithorian restoration effort. However, Atton strayed away from the surface and fell into a short line leading to Telos's orbiting Citadel Station.

"Most of the surface is toxic," Atton reasoned as they streamed over the station, Kiray staring down at the glowing lights in amazement. "Apart from the restoration zones, but you need clearance for that."

"I can guess," Kiray said smoothly, watching the small orbital shuttles race by while Atton guided the _Hawk_ towards an open hangar and landed carefully. T3 moaned worriedly, and Kiray shook her head, saying, "Relax. Nothing is going to happen to us."

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure of that," Atton called as he pulled himself out of the pilot's chair. Kiray wandered out of the cockpit, and suddenly noticed a closed storage cell. Curious, she opened it, and almost screamed as she leaped into Atton's arms.

Inside the cell was an orange-red combat droid, reddish photoreceptors powered down and sparks flying from its chassis. T3 twittered in alarm, but it wasn't because of the droid. Atton quickly stared at Kiray's quivering form folded up neatly in his hands, and Kiray finally realized exactly what he was envisioning and jumping down onto the grated floor.

"You really thought you could do something, didn't you?"

"I wasn't thinking any such thing!" Atton retorted, faking hurt in his voice, and Kiray didn't buy it. Instead, she looked closer at the droid.

"T3, do you recognize it?" The utility droid beeped an unwilling affirmative, and launched into a medium-length explanation. Kiray frowned as she listened to T3. It was an assassin droid, one that Revan had made, and it was the last one she built before waging war against the whole galaxy. It had been sitting in here, quietly sparking, for five years.

"All right, I'll figure out what to do with him later," Kiray said as T3 wound down on the explanation. She turned and shouted for Kreia before she, the scoundrel, and the droid left her, and, once the old woman appeared, looking grumpy, Kiray led the four of them down the access ramp and into Citadel Station.

The dominant color of the hangar bay was durasteel gray with streaks of a disgusting yellow-orange. There was a lift to Kiray's left, which was probably for maintenance crews, and was about to inspect it when a booming female voice sounded over the comms.

"Unidentified ship and crew, please stay where you are. Lieutenant Dol Grenn of the Telos Security Force will be arriving shortly. That is all."

"Not good," Kiray said to herself.

"If they think we have something to do with Peragus – uh-oh. Here comes the welcoming party," Atton remarked while four people, armed and armored, appeared at the door to the hangar bay. Kiray frowned when she saw the Republic-reminiscent uniforms, but soon the lieutenant dominated her attention.

"I'm Lieutenant Grenn of the TSF," he said gruffly. Grenn had dark eyes, a rough face, and a scruffy beard. His mouth was carved in a permanent scowl, but it softened as he continued, "You are to be placed under house arrest in the investigation of the Peragus Mining Facility."

"We had nothing to do with that, lieutenant!" Atton burst out. Kiray gave him a firm elbow in the side, and Atton shut up, to Kreia's approval.

"We will have to take all your personal arms and armor, and hold your ship and any droids for I and D," Grenn continued. Kiray knew I and D meant "Identification and Decontamination", and quickly nodded her assent. T3 beeped in concern about himself.

"Yes, that includes you, and you will be detained," Grenn answered to T3 before turning back to Kiray. He continued, "You and your companions will be held in the TSF station in Entertainment Module Oh-Eight-Two while we sort out accommodations for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes I do, officer. Lead the way," Kiray replied. Atton just shook his head as he followed her and cried, "Tell me I'm _not_ going to jail again."

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Kiray stared in disbelief at the glowing force cage before her. Her short hair shook as she shook her head and said, "A force cage? You gotta be kidding me!"

"We're still sorting out an apartment for you and your friends to use in Residential Oh-Eight-One," Grenn replied, waving off Kiray's scoffing tone, "Until then, I recommend you get comfortable."

"And how about I get _my_ jacket back?" Atton complained. Although he'd received his own brand-new jacket that looked exactly like his older one, but Kiray suspected that he wasn't comfortable with it.

"It's all right, Rand. We'll be okay," Kiray reassured him, still facing Grenn, who turned his back and walked out of the holding area. Kiray stretched and carefully lowered herself to the bottom of her cell. "We should definitely get comfy. Who knows how long this'll take?"

"I'll come right out and say ten hours," Atton suggested, causing Kiray to groan. Kreia did not offer a time, but crossed her legs and began meditating. Kiray closed her eyes and found herself meditating also. A huge snore erupted from Atton, and they waited.

It wasn't long before three TSF officers appeared. Kreia stood, Kiray shuffled straight, and Atton barely moved as they sauntered in, holding no weapons. Two of them wore helmets, hiding their features, and one strutted before them like a rooster.

"So this is the last of the Jedi," he crowed, "I must admit, I was expecting something not quite as easy."

"Easy, Kast. We don't want trouble," one of the cronies warned. Kiray's eyes went wide as Kast spun around and struck the henchman.

"_Ne jukadir!_" Kast growled, and the other two scurried back. Kast turned, and Kiray instantly recognized him.

"Talon Kast. Never thought to meet you here, of all places." Kast spat at her feet, and Atton instantly stood.

"Bounty hunter?"

"Old friend gone bounty hunter."

"Ah."

"You know, Fett," Kast said with some of his previous cool gone, "There's a very handsome price on every Jedi's head. I plan on being one of those who collect."

"So you're Exchange now," Kiray growled. It wasn't a question. "You were a spineless nerfherder back in the old days. I wonder if the Exchange has gone soft."

"As you well know, Fett, I am more than skilled enough to work for them."

"Oh really?" Atton scowled, eyes narrow. "Why don't you try me on for size, scum?"

"Don't try it, Rand," Kiray cautioned, "His fuse is short enough as it is." Kast's eyes were little more than slits now as Kreia forewarned, "Overloading our cages will not get you the full price on her head."

"You cannot compete against me!" Kast roared, "My skills shall be your doom. Come, Fett. It is time for you and your pathetic friends to die."

Kiray's fuse blew, and, without getting herself shocked, jumped through the force cage and beat up Kast, breaking his nose and shattering his teeth, yelling, "You (kick) will (kick in groin) never (kick across the face) try (stomp on feet) a stunt like this (balls fist right above nose bridge) again!"

Her almost man-sized fist came crashing down, shattering the front part of Kast's face. The door opened frantically as Grenn raced in, flanked by two guards.

"What in the name – all right, Jedi, stand up and back away from the body, hands where we can see 'em and – oh, shit," Grenn ordered, trying to get Kiray back in the cage and finally noticing that her cage was still active. Kiray cleaned her hands on the front of her clothes, staining them with Kast's blood in thick stripes. Kiray gave him a predator-like grin as one of the flanking officers called for a medic. The other tried ushering Grenn out of the holding area and stopped.

"Who is _that_?" she asked in confusion, "Is that Batu Rem?"

"No. His name was Talon Kast. Mandalorian merc trying to collect on the Exchange's bounty. I'm glad I didn't need to depend on you for protection," Kiray replied.

"Batu Rem's on leave!" Grenn barked. Anger flooded his eyes as he kicked at Kast's dead body, then refocused on Kiray.

"Well, I guess you can take care of yourself," he conceded. She nodded as Atton piped up, "Hey, can you let us out now?"

Grenn accessed the terminal and did so, saying to Kiray, "We have your quarters ready in Oh-Eight-One. We'll have a team investigate this little incident." Kiray's eyes rolled as she replied, "Can you just take us to our apartment now?"

"Of course," Grenn obliged, and he led Kiray, Kreia, and a still seething Atton out of the station.

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Yes, short chap. But it was fun to write. I told you there'd be old friends. Next, newer friends, a few enemies, and loads and loads of trouble.


	10. Troublemaking

CHAPTER IX: Troublemaking

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Once they group reached the arranged apartment, Grenn gave them a short rundown on their situation before departing, leaving two guards at the door.

"This isn't good," Atton grumbled, tugging at the new jacket uncomfortably. "If they find anything out there, we're going to be in deep shit."

"No duh," Kiray remarked, settling on a bed. Her amber eyes were glinting with worry, but were also planning, calculating. Atton shrugged before adding, "Well, we could hit Nar Shaddaa once we're out of here."

"And you know this from experience?" Atton shrugged with a guilty grin and answered, "Hey, everyone needs to hide in the crowd at some point or another."

"Kreia, what do you think?" Kiray asked, turning to the woman. Kreia's face was etched in a frown as she said, "I sense that we came here for a reason. I must meditate on this."

"Yeah, you go ahead and meditate," Atton stated, wandering towards another one of the open beds, "As for me, I could use some shut-eye."

"No kidding," Kiray remarked, yawning and laying flat on the bed, out like a light. Atton settled also, and fell asleep just as easily while Kreia selected a space in front of the bed farthest from the door and began meditating.

_BeeDEE-deep, beep! BeeDEE-deep, beep!_

Kiray groaned as she sat up from her invigorating nap, her hair tousled and messy. Atton was snoring louder than he had been in the TSF station, and Kreia had surrendered to her own need for natural sleep and had taken the last bed. Kiray muttered one or two harsh words of Mando'a to herself before getting up, smoothing out her hair, and answering the terminal.

"What?"

"Excuse me?" one of Grenn's TSF guards asked politely, "You have a caller: Moza, from the Ithorian planetary restoration interest. Shall I let him in?"

Kiray checked the time. "Officer, it's three in the morning. If it's urgent, let him in, but if not, ask him to come back later." The officer ducked out of the shot for a moment, reappearing to say, "He says that it will not take much of your time."

"All right, send him in," Kiray conceded, and she stepped away from the terminal and waited a few seconds before the door opened. A tall, hammer-headed Ithorian swayed in, speaking in his native tongue. With the help of the sonic imprint sensor, Kiray was able to follow what he said.

"Are you the Jedi known as Kiray Fett?"

"I am. What's it to you? And how did you know that I was here?"

"My leader, Chodo Habat, sensed you through the Force. A great pain, as he told me. According to him, if you help us, we may be able to help you." Kiray frowned in suspicion, but continued listening to Moza, who suggested that if she help root out Czerka's corruption in trying to get the Ithorians' restoration contracts. Kiray felt it was a good deal, and agreed to meet with Habat once she was released from house arrest. Moza was pleased, and left immediately.

_Now maybe I can get some sleep,_ Kiray thought to herself as she shuffled back to bed, _and the next person who calls is going to get a full plate of my _a'den. She groaned as she fell asleep again, and rested peacefully.

_BeeDEE-deep, beep! BeeDEE-deep, beep!_

Kiray growled a few hours later when the terminal called her out of sleep yet again. It was five-thirty in the morning now, and her rage was at its limit. However, it slackened, when Kiray noticed that it was _Czerka_ calling. _This oughta be interesting_, she thought as she answered.

A protocol droid by the number B4-D4 greeted her cheerily, asking whether he could connect Kiray to the exec, Jana Lorso. More and more intrigued every minute, Kiray agreed, and the picture fuzzed out for a few seconds as she was reconnected, and soon she was face-to-face with Jana Lorso.

Lorso was a woman decorated with Sith-like tattoos. Kiray instantly did not like the look of the woman, and she was more inclined to trust Moza and the Ithorians. Lorso was civil, but Kiray did not like how Lorso put the term of aid as a "job", and refused to work for her, saying, "You know, all I'm hearing is that the Ithorians just want me for my old life, you want to pay me well for going against them. What if I would rather be rewarded just by knowing I helped you strengthen your hold on the RZ's? Your point is not compatible with mine, and that is that!"

Kiray closed the line before Lorso could retort, and as she went back to her bed, Atton mumbled, "You took good care of that gal. She probably would've forced us to work for her if you hadn't said no straight to her face."

"Thanks, Rand. Get me up at noon, would you? I find talking to these people annoying."

"You got it. Just get me at one in the afternoon."

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Kiray was jealous of Kreia, who had gotten a full night of sleep, as well as mad at her for getting her and Atton up at nine-thirty. Grenn appeared at ten, saying that the _Hawk_'s I and D was finished, and they could go reclaim it, T3, and their weaponry. Kiray rubbed at her eyes before turning to Kreia.

"Maybe we should wake her up in the middle of the night, see how she feels in the morning," Atton grumbled, agreed by Kiray, as they made their way to the shuttle that would take them to the entertainment module. Kreia stayed silent as they traveled, and spoke up with a curt, "Perhaps one should remain awake to accept more calls."

Kiray rolled her eyes at that as they deboarded, and she saw a merchant, where she bought a set of Mandalorian battle armor and shoved it at Kreia, who utterly refused, causing Kiray to spin around and resell it for less that she'd paid, rubbing at her already burning temper. Kiray, however, did take the time to buy Atton a new blaster pistol, which he spun expertly as he slid it into his grip. Kiray, Kreia, and Atton then proceeded to help out a hapless Sullustan who had unwittingly picked a fight with a pair of mercenaries, receiving one hundred credits in the process and information on the large numbers of mercenaries Czerka had been hiring before the trio proceeded into the cantina.

To Kiray's taste, the music was terrible, and the dancers were too scantily clad for Atton, and Kreia just downright did not enjoy that they had even entered the bar in the first place. As Kiray got two drinks, a juma juice for Atton and an on-the-rocks Corellian whiskey for herself, a man Kiray had no doubts was Exchange tried to come onto her. He'd been rewarded for his troubles with a stiff punch in the gut and the hard words of a pink-skinned person by the name of Luxa, who forced the guy, Benok, to back off before Kiray was able to get him again. Benok shuffled away from Kiray, and the Mandalorian gave Luxa a nod of thanks before taking the drinks and taking them back to her companions.

"Here's to getting out of the apartment," Atton said cheerily, raising his glass. Kiray chinked it with her own glass, taking a sip while Atton drank down the entire helping of juma with Kreia looking on disapprovingly. Kiray's eyes roved over the patrons, and her attention was nabbed by arguing Republic and Onderonian soldiers. Kiray expanded her senses and quietly listened to their argument.

"Joining the Republic was the worst mistake Talia has ever made!" the Onderonian rumbled, "It has cost Onderon their people, their economy, and the prosperity of Iziz! And has the Republic done anything to help us? Of course not!"

"You make it sound like the Republic forced Onderon into joining and then became a prison colony!" the Republic soldier reasoned, "I can say that Onderon joining has _improved_ the planet a lot! Besides, if Onderon hadn't joined, this station would have a hard time restoring Telos without the wildlife of Dxun."

_Dxun_. The name of Onderon's nearest habitable moon gave Kiray the shivers up and down her spine. Dxun was where the Mandalorian armies had struck out at the beginning of the wars, and that was where Kiray had truly become a stranger to her people, killing fellow Mandos. And, as she remembered, one of those she had murdered was a Fett. She had killed a clanfriend, someone who had just gotten in her way and probably would have recognized her had they fought hand-to-hand.

"I recommend that we get moving, if you are done," Kreia said uncomfortably, shaking Kiray from her memories. With a silent nod, she left hers and Atton's empty glasses, along with a few credits to settle the tab, and they left, passing through another shuttle bay before reaching the TSF offices. There, Kiray spoke to the droid at the desk to check on getting the _Hawk_ back.

"I regret to inform you that the _Ebon Hawk_ is missing, but the TSF is investigating the situation."

_"WHAT!_" Kiray and Atton shouted at the same time. The droid tried to shrug apologetically as it explained that the _Hawk_ hadn't even reached the I&D docks, instead transferred to the surface. At this point Atton looked confused.

"I don't get that. Most of Telos's atmosphere is very corrosive. But that droid must've done it! He's probably joyriding through the system right now, laughing at all of us!"

"Come on, Rand, get real," Kiray answered, "He'd be breaking loads of behavior inhibitors to be doing something like that, and you know how hard it is to reprogram those and then give him a memory wipe?"

"Point taken," Atton replied as the droid recommended that they wait for the ship the Republic was sending, which, of course, Kiray was not going to do. Instead, she reclaimed their gear, and once they were well-equipped, they returned to the residential module, hoping that their aid would be welcome news to the Ithorians.

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Of course, their help was readily accepted. Chodo Habat didn't mince words, thankfully, and came right out in asking Kiray to help them get Czerka off of Telos's surface, which she was more than happy to do. Chodo was pleased, even though Kreia was not a great fan of the peaceful aliens, and Habat gave them their first assignment right off the bat.

"A few months ago, the droid we were using for the restoration effort vanished," Chodo explained, "We believe it was stolen, because of the highly advanced circuitry, and my herd has gone to great pains to buy a second, yet lesser, droid to replace it."

"Want me to escort it from the hangar, right?" Kiray asked. She wasn't strictly in her armor; she had taken the cloak off of the Matukai robes and attached it to the armor, as well as putting on black pants instead of the armored legs and boots, lowering the high amount of defense, yet allowing at least some. Habat nodded, and sent them off to Hangar Bay 2 at the dock module 126.

"This seems almost too easy," Kiray commented as they boarded a shuttle to the docks. "I mean, just bringing a droid to the compound ought to be no problem."

"Unless some of Czerka's mercs come after us," Atton groaned, causing Kiray's optimism to fall flat. Silence reigned until they docked, and as Kiray walked towards the bay, two Czerka employees appeared, one a Twi'lek.

"So you're Habat's errand girl," he commented. Kiray's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she answered coldly, "No. I'm just exploring around here. But if Jana Lorso wants me to go and bring her the Ithorians' droid, think again."

"That's too bad," the Twi'lek answered coolly as he entered the turbolift to the now-departing shuttle, "She'd have paid you handsomely for it. You still have a choice." He vanished with his compatriot, and Kiray shook her head.

"Remind me to never listen to an exec officer from any company ever again," she moaned. Both Atton and Kreia, albeit a little reluctantly, agreed before Kiray spoke to the bay's manager. The Ithorian opened the door, and Kiray, followed by Atton close to her right and Kreia far to the left, entered the bay.

"I'm glad you showed up!" a lone TSF guard called when she came closer. "I'm the only man the TSF could spare, but I hope there isn't any –"

"Masters," the new droid interrupted, "I believe we have some visitors." Kiray spun around to see five thugs approaching them.

"This is bound to be fun," she said, giving Kreia a short glance and a quick nod. The old woman gave the Mandalorian Jedi the tiniest of grins before releasing a full blast of lightning that engulfed three of the five. Kiray rapidly sheathed her sword and grabbed the two Mandalorian guns from Juntas's body back on Peragus, and she and Atton fired away at one thug each, dropping them in a few seconds.

"That was almost too close," Atton muttered as he lowered his guns. Kiray slid her own pistols back into her belt and picked up her sword, replying, "Well, I guess it could have been worse."

"Masters, one of them was carrying this," the droid said, shuffling towards Kiray and holding a small hold-out blaster. The TSF guy looked over Atton's shoulder as Kiray examined it. Kiray's eyes were slits as she growled, "Modified, so much so that it has to be illegal. I'll hang onto this until I can get it to Grenn."

"Where will we be going, Master?" the droid asked, cocking its head annoyingly. Kiray turned to it and replied," Ithorian compound, now."

"I'll trust your judgment, Master," the agriculture droid commented, and Kiray was very annoyed at it as they led it out if the hangar and back to the residential module.

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By the way, a'den: rage, wrath.

OVER ONE THOUSAND HITS! Can you people review, even if you're just skimming over this? Your input makes the story better.


	11. Below the Surface

FLUFF ALERT! FLUFF ALERT! It's only a tiny bit, but it's fluff. All you romantic readers had better be satisfied for now, cause there isn't going to be much more until the old base on the surface. Enjoy. Reviews make me feel special. 

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CHAPTER X: Below the Surface

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Habat was pleased at getting the droid, and wasted no time in giving Kiray another assignment: getting into the Exchange offices and stopping the boss, Loppak Slusk, from interfering with the Ithorians' work. Kiray took great pains to get Kreia not to worry.

"Besides," she reasoned while receiving a sour look from the old woman, "he has resources that we need to get to wherever the _Ebon Hawk _is."

"Then I shall keep my opinions to myself," Kreia answered coldly, turning her back on the Mandalorian. Kiray just shook her head as they went back in the direction of the apartment. She had noticed the Exchange offices right near the walkthrough exit to the other side of the residential module, and took almost no time in stopping there.

"You have no business here," the Rodian thug said smartly, waving then trio off, "Get out of here."

"I would like to speak to Loppak Slusk," Kiray pressed, "It's about the bounty on Jedi the Exchange has placed."

"Then you better set up an appointment with Luxa," the thug replied, "She's in the cantina, probably with one or two of her Gamorrean guards. Now leave me alone." Kiray didn't push any further, leaving quietly for the next shuttle to the Entertainment Module.

"You know something?" Atton asked as they strapped in. Kiray faced him curiously as she finished. The scoundrel continued, "You're really calm, Kiray. A heck of a lot calmer than you were back on Peragus."

Kiray blushed and muttered, "Ah, well, uh, I feel better. Different than I have for five years. Haven't felt this good in a while, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Atton answered, his eyes riveted to her face. Kiray tried not to notice, but found herself looking back at him. Before she knew it, her face was getting closer to his, or was he getting closer to her? She didn't care, and kept coming closer. It was only when the shuttle docked and Kreia said disapprovingly, "We have an appointment to keep," did they realize just how close together each was to the other.

Kiray hastily unstrapped herself and almost ran out of the shuttle. _What were you thinking?!_ She scolded herself,_ There's enough to worry about without falling madly in love! Or am I already in love...with Atton?_ Kiray shook the thoughts away and walked towards the cantina, but stopped herself. Even though she trusted the woman as close as she had come with Atton, Kreia was still a mystery, and there was at least one question that needed to be asked of her.

"Kreia, what are you exactly?" she asked, turning towards her self-appointed teacher, "A _Jetii_ or a _Darjetii_?"

"Does it matter?" the old woman answered tiredly, "Maybe I am neither, and that could be all that matters."

"Well, what were you once?"

"What do you wish to hear?" Kreia growled angrily, "That once I believed in and embraced the code of the Jedi? That for every good deed I accomplished others were harmed? Or that I took on the mantle of Sith, and once held the galaxy by its throat?" Kiray stepped back, afraid of Kreia now more than ever.

"But I still would like to hear the story," Kiray murmured, trying not to make Kreia any angrier than the _ruug'la dala_ already was. However, she seemed to have cooled off rather quickly, and slowly began...

(CUTSCENE...cool movie here. In the game, getting to watch this earns you 1000 XP, just to let you know. But anyways...)

_A woman, cloaked in black, marched forward, confident in herself and her power. The area around her was wide, a gaping mouth far below the planet's surface. Curved spines shot up from the floor as she approached the central blood-red stone._

_::There are dark places in the galaxy where few tread,:: Kreia said through the link::Ancient centers of learning, of knowledge. But I did not walk alone. To be united by hatred is a..._fragile_ alliance at best.::_

_Two figures also appeared, approaching the central figure. One was scarred and mutilated, half-blind, pained at every waking moment, but powerful nonetheless. The second was wreathed in blackness, save for a bone-white mask covering his face with two lines of what appeared to be blood running out of the open eyeholes. The woman spun around, revealing Kreia herself, twisted by the dark side. The scarred man drew a lightsaber, the blood-red blade shining in the darkness around them. Kreia activated her own, ready to defend herself, but the man in black robes shoved her into a wall of a spire. Kreia's hood fell, revealing her gray hair and blackened eyes._

_::There are techniques within the Force against which there are no defense,:: Kreia whispered again as her past self reached for her fallen lightsaber, trying to pull it into her hand, and failing. The scarred man stood over her, almost gloating silently, before reaching down and grabbing her face. Kreia shrieked as she tried to pull the hand away, but couldn't before the man slammed the back of her head into the column. Stunned, he released her in time to cut his fist across her face, then shoving his knee into her stomach. Kreia groaned with each attack, and when he grabbed her by the throat and held her up, Kiray could hear the choking voice._

_"Sion...do not-"_

_Sion did not listen, and threw her down to the floor. ::I was cast down,:: Kreia-of-the-present whispered::Stripped of my power. Exiled.::_

_Kreia's fallen form vanished, revealing the other man. Kiray could barely hear the shouts of Kreia shouting, "Nihilus, you dared defy me!" Nihilus just crossed his arms over his chest as the whisper returned::I suffered...indignities.:: The memories faded as Kreia finished::And fell into darkness.:: _

Kiray shook her head as the present came back into focus, her head pounding. Kreia turned away, but said, "All my hopes rest with you, exile, whatever path you may take. But we have spoken enough of this matter, and we should move on."

"Sure," Kiray mumbled, rubbing at her head. It hurt as much as if she had accidentally stepped across a deadly sonic mine or something, the ache never ceasing. Atton put a comforting arm around her shoulders and lead her into the cantina, past the swoop and pazaak tables until they reached the bar proper.

"I'll get you something," Atton offered before shooting a glance to a pink-skinned woman flanked by two Gamorreans, adding, "and setting up something."

"You get the drinks," Kiray said, carefully rising as the pain in her head barely ebbed, "and I'll talk with Luxa. You don't stand a chance getting to her, and I can. Besides, she might be looking for me anyway." Kiray had pulled a surface thought from Luxa, who had suddenly swung around in multiple directions in confusion. Kiray couldn't help but grin to herself as she and Atton left Kreia at the table they had occupied before and approached the bar. Atton spoke to the bartender droid while Kiray sidled up next to Luxa.

"Hello there," Luxa said coolly, her orange hair falling across her face and the right side of her face. "Y'know, I heard about what happened down at the docks. Can we talk?"

"Sure," Kiray said straightening when Atton passed her a straight-up tankard of Gizer ale. Luxa lowered a glass of a mud-like liquid before facing her. Kiray was struck by her similar appearance to Revan, but soon had to listen as Luxa spoke again.

"I handle vice. Gambling, drinks...the good things in life. I usually make the rounds for Loppak Slusk, the local Exchange boss."

"Hold up there," Kiray said, taking a sip of the sweet-yet-sour ale, "I don't want any trouble with the Exchange." Luxa gave her a smile and replied, "Don't worry. I'm not looking to get you into trouble. But I do have a question for you: _Are_ you Jedi?"

Kiray seriously considered the question. Although she could sense and act upon the Force again, she wasn't really a Jedi until there was a lightsaber in her hand once more. Until then, she could say that she had been, and was still Manda.

"I used to, but not anymore," Kiray answered, "I'm more Manda now than Jetii."

"Exactly," Luxa said, a conniving smile on her face. "Look, if you're able, I can get you into the offices here, and..._convince_ Slusk to remove the Jedi bounty off your head. Tell me, are you able?"

"Absolutely."

"Excellent. I'll get the appointment set, and you can get to Slusk," Luxa said cheerily, and wandered off with her bodyguards out of the cantina.

"Well?" Kreia asked. Kiray knew what was behind the question and replied, "We should get going. I'll finish up my ale and we can get underway." With that, and to both Kreia and Atton's extreme surprise, she chugged the entire half-tankard within the space of five seconds and took on a disgusted look on her face.

"Force, I wish this place had behot to stick in that ale," Kiray sighed as she dropped a few credits onto the table. Atton looked at her curiously, and Kiray explained, "It's an herb we put into drinks, gives the _shig_ a nice citrus-y taste and very stimulating. It's also used as an antiseptic, if you mix it with kolto or bacta."

Nodding in understanding, Atton decided, "If we find any of that stuff, we're definitely getting some." Kiray laughed. "Sorry, _vod_, the only place to get some behot is with a camp of Mando soldiers. You know where any of them are?" Atton shook his head mournfully as he was led by Kiray out of the cantina.


	12. Removal

1CHAPTER XI: Removal

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Entering the Exchange offices now was no problem; all Kiray had to do was mention to the thug that Luxa had sent her, and he opened the door after a short warning of, "I hope you know what you're getting into, human," before running after the door had been opened. Glancing over to her friends and receiving an encouraging nod from Atton and a thin smile from Kreia, Kiray crossed the threshold and into the offices.

They only needed to walk forward a few feet before they were stopped by a receptionist, who began, "I'm sorry, but there seems to be a problem with the system. Are you sure that your appointment was today?"

Kiray's eyes narrowed as she walked up to the desk and leaned against it, toying with her sword. She glanced at the nametag before saying, "Vula, my dear, there isn't a problem. There is a different problem with the system, and you should probably open the door." Behind her back, she twitched her fingers just a little bit, backing the Force into her words with a compliance nudge.

"You know what?" Vula said rather kindly, "There must be another problem with the system. That has been happening a lot lately, especially with appointments. I'll get that door open." Kiray smiled as Vula set to work on a terminal before asking, "Tell me, what was your name again?"

"Kara Fontan," Kiray said, a little to Atton's surprise, and Vula busied herself at the terminal again, opening an intercom to the room beyond.

"Excuse me? Loppak Slusk's appointment had arrived," Vula spoke clearly and concisely into the microphone, "Please open the inner door." The door opened without another word. Kiray nodded happily as Vula finished, "There you are! Have a good day."

"Thank _you_, Vula dear," Kiray said while Atton supplemented a thankful nod and Kreia just stared long and hard at the receptionist before following Kiray into the main facility. Four Gamorreans stood listlessly behind the door, their huge battle axes bobbing up and down in a loose-gripped hand. The three of them quickly skirted the foursome and towards the left. Beyond there was a prisoner area, one of the force cages holding an Ithorian. Kiray swore to get him out, to Kreia's immense disapproval but Atton's enjoyment, and they crossed over to the other side of the complex.

"I think we're going to need everything ready," Kiray said as she sensed six Exchange members beyond the door. Kreia almost rushed to get a disruptor pistol in hand while Atton shrugged as he rubbed a few scratches from the sights of his pistols. Kiray checked the grip on her sword and when the other two confirmed ready, she opened the door.

There were indeed six people behind the door: two Rodians, two humans, and one Quarren. Kiray's amber eyes narrowed as she said one word:

"Slusk."

"Ah, so this is the Jedi that has been on the station," the Quarren, Loppak Slusk replied coolly, "I don't think you'll find such a warm welcome as you've already received by the TSF and the Ithorians." He turned to the assorted men and barked, "Matu, get the man from the door. Benok, take care of these ones."

"With pleasure," Benok growled with a mirthless smile. The one Kiray shot at him was icier than his, and when the door had closed behind a departing Slusk, she ran at him, Kreia and Atton aiming for him as well. Matu got in Kiray's way as she ran for Benok, and he almost whined as she nearly sliced him in two. Kiray turned back to Benok and charged him, her full rage unleashing itself. The first offense had been waking up at three, five-thirty, and eight in the morning at least today (or was it already night? She couldn't tell.). The second had been running for a stupid agro-droid, and the third had been coming here in the first place. _Why couldn't Habat have just given me the stinking shuttle right then and there?_ she thought, annoyed to all hells she'd ever heard of, while she beat back all of Benok's terrible shots with the palm of her hand and barely a thought from the Force, and he toppled before he could even draw a sword to fight back. Kiray was so bored that she easily shot a fistful of lightning at the other two, who both yelled out as their bodies were charred to barely any recognition.

Atton jogged to Kiray's side and neatly pried Benok's gold blaster from the dead thug's hand. "It has ion upgrades," he remarked as he slid it into his palm, "Might prove useful at some point or another, huh?"

Kiray didn't answer, and Atton was shocked, as well as a little hurt, but he said nothing as they proceeded on, the group of Gamorreans further on letting them in rather than fighting, and Slusk was beside himself when he found a raging Mandalorian Jedi on his doorstep. The Quarren rushed to get his droids out while keeping Kiray from getting in, but failed miserably as Kiray shoved her way past the droids, whose circuits were already charred by a blast from Kreia, and marched towards Slusk, who ran behind his desk in fear.

"What do you want?" he moaned, "Credits? No more bounties on your head?"

"I want you. Dead. And not messing with the Ithorians anymore," Kiray replied coldly, anger rolling off of her in huge waves. Slusk's fear was reaching its height, and only Luxa's appearance kept him from running and impaling himself on Kiray's sword. The pink woman was about to speak when Kiray surprised her with a strong Force shove into the wall.

"You should die too, for trying to manipulate me into doing your dirty work," Kiray growled, her skin paling and eyes reddening in rage right before Atton's and Kreia's eyes. Atton stepped forward and laid a hand on Kiray's shoulder, whispering, "Relax, Kir. They've done nothing to us. We don't need to kill all of them. Maybe only Luxa."

"Why only her?" Kiray growled, but Atton was glad that she was ever so slowly icing over, returning to her normal self. "She's the one who manipulated us," he continued, "Not Slusk, you hear?" Kiray slowly nodded, and the terrifying hatred and anger slowly fading away. A very weak and very frightened Luxa fell to the ground, gasping for breath from the hard press against the wall.

"I - I guess it's...like they say," Luxa panted as Kiray loomed over her, "You can't...trust any person...not even...a Jedi Knight."

"And that will be the last mistake you will ever make," Kreia breathed, surprisingly, and reached out with her one good hand. Luxa hovered in the air for a few moments, gasping for breath and scratching at an untouched throat, and Kreia quickly pulled her hand back. Everyone present, even Luxa's Gamorrean guard, visibly winced as Luxa's head snapped back audibly, and the broken heap of flesh and bone fell once again to the floor, unmoving.

Kreia gave one look to Slusk and said with a near-silent voice, "You shall not interfere with Czerka, or the work being done upon the surface of Telos, ever again." The Quarren crime boss nodded fearfully, and Kreia walked out, followed by an amazed Kiray and Atton.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"What was that all about?" Kiray asked, sliding in front of the procession back to the Ithorian compound next to Kreia. The old woman frowned deeply as she replied, "You were afraid of what power you wielded there, young one. I only finished the job you were meant to do."

"And what was that?" Atton broke in, just as outraged as Kiray was in Kreia's downright misanthropic behavior, "Murder? Or was it intimidation?"

"It was neither," Kreia growled. Kiray could barely hear a struggled hiss of air from Atton, who was trying not to notice that Kreia was ever so lightly holding his throat.

"Let him go, Kreia," Kiray ordered. The old woman seemed to have gone deaf, and Atton's struggles were heard even louder. Kiray skimmed Kreia's surface thoughts, and found something that would get her out of this terrible trance-like state.

"Traya."

Kreia froze, and Atton's hand raced to his neck as air rushed back into his lungs. Kiray bent down to help him up, but Kreia spun around suddenly and kicked Kiray angrily in the stomach.

"Leave the fool," she rumbled, "He cannot help you in where we will be going."

"I will not," Kiray retorted, fighting against her huge rage as it boiled up within her. "Atton is not a fool. In fact, he has actually been a much better asset than you. T3 is a better asset than you. Both of them helped me escape Peragus, and to me, it only seemed that either you had some suicidal death wish or did absolutely nothing to aid in our escape."

"Insolent girl!" Kreia spat. Kiray noticed the crackle of lighting in the air, and she shielded Atton and rolled to the side as a burst of energy hit the floor they had just occupied. Kiray readied her sword and ran at Kreia, hoping to distract her enough to allow Atton to escape, but as Kreia readied to attack again, she stopped, wavering suddenly, and ran away to the direction of the apartment. Kiray panted heavily as she slumped on the floor, watching Kreia's form turn a corner and vanish. Atton crawled up next to her and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"I have no clue," Kiray whispered in shock.


	13. Backstory

CHAPTER XII: Backstory

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Kiray and Atton chose to leave Kreia at the apartment to calm down, and they made their way back to the Ithorian compound. Chodo Habat could feel that their "meeting" with Slusk did not go without bloodshed, but realized that it had most likely been necessary. Kiray and Atton had exchanged short looks then, but Habat recaught their attention with their final errand.

"We must show the corruption of Czerka out in the open, and show it to Telosian Council," he explained, "However, their mainframe is very difficult to access."

"Let me guess," Kiray ventured, "Biometric codes that randomize every few seconds with absolutely no pattern to trace?"

"Correct," Habat confirmed, "So, if we can figure out a way to access directly, then there would be no problems." Atton instantly burst in, "How about we just wade on in, shooting anyone that gives us trouble?"

Kiray's eyes narrowed and rolled. Atton shrugged guiltily, saying, "What? It sounds like a good idea."

"What if we bribe a Czerka employee?" Kiray put forth. Habat admitted that he hadn't thought of that, and the smooth-talking Mandalorian Jedi was able to persuade five hundred credits from the Ithorian. Atton was amazed by her skill, and whispered, "Smooth!" before they departed to the cantina yet again.

"So what was that thing you said to get Kreia so crazed?" Atton asked as they strapped in their seats on the shuttle for the third time. Kiray sighed as she tightened the final strap and replied, "It was a single word: Traya."

"Traya? What the hell does that mean?"

"I don't know exactly, but you remember when Kreia told me about when she was exiled from the Sith?"

"Yeah?"

"I think Traya might have been Kreia's name when she was Sith," Kiray continued, "but why would her Sith name be first and foremost in her mind when she's really angry?"

"No clue," Atton replied, "but maybe that's something we can ask her later. C'mon, we're here." He unstrapped while Kiray struggled with the strange tangle her mind had caused in the straps as she thought more about Atton and how handsome yet mysterious he was. Atton waited for her as she fumbled, but when Kiray had no luck, he walked back onto the shuttle and helped her untangle the mess. As the straps unraveled, Kiray and Atton met each other's gaze more and more often, and they drew closer as the untwisted straps fell away. Once all the straps were off, Kiray found herself so close to Atton that she could smell his breath, and, as quickly as it had happened in the first place, Kiray found her lips connected to Atton's. Her eyes closed as the kiss deepened, and when they pulled away, they saw each other in a newer light.

"Should we have done that?" Atton asked. Kiray gave him a small smile and answered, "In another time, maybe not, but in the here and now, you bet." Atton grinned wide as he and Kiray walked side-by-side out of the shuttle bay.

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(How SWEET! First kiss! OK, moving on...)

Inside the cantina it was easy work to find the Czerka employee. Besides, an even easier giveaway apart from the Czerka uniform was the look of anger etched across his face as he stared at the three Twi'leki dancers. Kiray sighted him and sent Atton for drinks as she sauntered up to him.

"Hello there, handsome," Kiray said seductively, twirling one of her short strands of hair around her index finger. The employee, Corrun Falt according to his nametag, turned around and stood entirely stunned at the young woman in front of him who wore Mandalorian-styled robes. Kiray batted her eyes while trying to imagine that this was Atton, and listened patiently as Corrun said, "Hey there. I'm Corrun. I guess you can tell I work for Czerka, but I hate it."

"Hate it? Why, I thought all you Czerka hunks earned twice as much as any other company in this sector!"

"Because of my boss, Jana Lorso. Ugh, she's got her fingers in so many dirty little – uh, I don't think I should have said that." Kiray's eyebrow cocked in disguised amusement and said, "What if I'm looking for something like that?"

"What – you're joking, right?" Corrun asked in suspicion, "CSD, loyalty test, right?" Kiray dropped any pretense of seductive feminess and replied, "No. I want to get into the mainframe."

"The _Czerka_ mainframe?! You gotta be kidding me!" Corrun declared incredulously, "What, are you some kind of slicer?"

"I just want dirt, is all," Kiray answered, causing Corrun's coal-black eyes to go wide, "So how do I get in?"

"Not as yourself, that's a fact," Corrun answered as he snagged one of the two jumas Atton had brought back, and Atton gave the Czerka employee a scowl as he passed Kiray the other one before going back to the bar to replace his juma. Corrun gulped down the whole thing before continuing, "But if you had control of B4-D4, things might be easier for you. He's automatically updated whenever the passwords are reset."

"Thanks," was all Kiray said and turned away, leaving Corrun to his perverted fantasies and coming back to Atton, just as he got his juma replaced, and dragged him out before he could even down it.

"Hey, just because we both know we're in love does not mean you can keep me from my juma!" Atton grumbled. Kiray's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he quickly backed off as they backtracked to the apartments.

Kreia did not appear, and when Kiray reached out through what seemed to be some kind of bond to the old woman, all she came up against was a solid metal wall in her mind. She sighed, and she and Atton made their way to an apartment that had what Kiray hoped was a droid technician.

Indeed, the Duros she had come across earlier was a technician, and Kiray begrudgingly paid his twenty-five hundred credit debt out of her pocket, causing Atton to wince as the well-earned five hundred for bribery slid right out of their hands. The tech handed over his credentials, and Kiray and Atton went down towards the Czerka offices.

"I just hope Lorso doesn't try to recruit us again," Kiray muttered as they slowly passed through the main entryway. Kiray opened the further door from the entrance, and the two of them were greeted by a black-and-gold droid.

"Good day! I am B4-D4, administrative assistant for executive Jana Lorso," The droid recited. Kiray's guts turned at his officious tone as he finished, "How may I help you?"

"You can help us by coming out from behind that desk and with us," Atton said with a slight growl behind it. B4-D4 was about to refuse when Kiray brandished the Duros' credentials and they escorted him out of the offices.

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"Ah, Czerka's droid! A brilliant plan!" Habat rejoiced when Kiray and Atton dragged the protocol droid into the Ithorian compound. B4-D4 was ushered out as he was reprogrammed, leaving Kiray and Atton to themselves until B4-D4 returned.

"Can I ask you something?" Atton asked a few minutes into their long wait. Kiray's eyes snapped up from her long, dazed stare at the blade of her double-bladed sword, wishing for her gorgeous lightsaber, and focused on Atton. "Go ahead."

"Well, none of us really seem to know anything about each other," Atton began, "Well, except that old witch, but you and me, well, we know nothing. How about you start?"

"About me?" Kiray laughed, "That would take hours, days, for you to learn my whole story. You'd probably think I was either lying or you'd stay away from me for a long time." Atton shrugged as he leaned back in a chair, replying, "We've got a good amount of time 'til that droid comes back with the files."

"All right, you got me. It starts a good distance from here, on our homeworld of Mandalore...

(FLASHBACK. I hope there's gonna be a few of these!)

Kiray panted as she ran hard through the flat grasses, chasing her prey. The twenty-kilo pack across her back cut into her shoulders, but she _had_ to get this one kill. Otherwise she would never truly pass into adulthood and become a part of her father's army, although he was the most wanted man in the galaxy.

"_Cuyir adenn!_" she growled to herself. But no matter how hard she told herself to keep going, Kiray stopped underneath the shade of one of the rare trees, drenching her face with water from her bottle. She froze when she heard the gruff roar of her prey, and she spun flat onto her back, drawing her saber, and scanning the flats. _There it is!_ She thought, seeing the scaly hide of one mythosaur lumbering towards the tree. Kiray's lips peeled back in a predatory grin, waiting for the right moment..._now!_

With a roar, she sprang from her hiding place, avoiding the barbs of the mythosaur's tail and spine. The monstrous creature roared, causing Kiray to cover her ears as she rolled under the creature and stabbed upward, into the creature's throat and into its skull. It collapsed onto her, and Kiray struggled to heft the corpse off of her. When she was able to sit up, Kiray smiled when she saw the immense size of her prey. She pulled out of a pocket on her belt a slim laser torch that she used to sever the head from the body.

Drawing a ceremonial knife, Kiray began cutting away the skin and the rest of the flesh from the head, gouging out the eyes and digging out the brains until only the bone remained. Kiray tugged off the lower jaw and placed the bone helm on her head. Her head snapped to the side as a stealth field deactivated, revealing none other then her father, Cassus Fett. His hard face was soft at the sight of his successful daughter.

"Look, father!" Kiray called proudly, hefting the half-skull from her head, "I got one! It was huge, you should've seen it!"

"You've done well, Kiray," Cassus replied happily as he climbed down from his hiding place in the tree, "I can say that you have indeed proved yourself to be a true _Manda_ warrior, _haat, ijaa, haa'it_. Truth, honor, vision."

Kiray smiled and lovingly hugged her father, proud of her great accomplishment.


	14. Escape from the Citadel

CHAPTER XIII: Escape from the Citadel

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Atton listened attentively as Kiray continued, telling him about Mando life and how she had a falling-out with her father before the wars broke out.

"So I went straight for Coruscant, hoping that the Jedi would accept me for training," Kiray said. "But when I got there, I remembered that I could only speak Mando'a, but then there were already a few guards on me when I started yelling for help, shouting to them that I was here for training.

"Before they carted me off to the local police station, one of the Masters, Kavar, he came walking out, and he must've understood what I was saying, because he instantly came to help me. I guess he either knew Mando'a or could understand me through the Force, because once I finished he led me to the Council for testing. And you see where that's gotten me."

"Yeah, but why did you go to war? You still haven't told me about that," Atton broke in. Kiray's eyes locked onto him, but then Moza walked in.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but B4-D4 was successful in his raid of the Czerka offices. Chodo would like to speak with you." Kiray nodded and rose from the position she'd been at for half an hour, following the Ithorian, while Atton trailed behind her.

"Ah, you've returned," Habat remarked when Kiray and Atton appeared. "I thank you for all you've done to aid us. Please accept this. It was a piece of a lightsaber from another Jedi who lent us aid once, long ago."

"Thanks, Chodo," Kiray said, taking the piece and stuffing it into her pocket. "So, are you going to let me use that shuttle of yours? To get down to the surface?"

"Yes, of course. It is already for you in Bay 2 of module 126, and will transport you to RZ-00031. However, we do believe that Czerka will not sit still for what we've gleaned from them, but I have the opinion that we have won some of their mercenaries to our side." Kiray stared at him in shock.

"How can some of the mercs be on your side if they were originally hired by Czerka?" Atton broke in. Habat cleared his throat, hiding what might've been a chuckle, and replied, "They have seen a Jedi come amongst them and proven that she can get a job done, and the corruption of Czerka may not be the best of things to throw their guns behind."

"I see," Kiray said, "Thanks for all your help, Chodo. Atton, let's get out of here."

"Right with you!" he answered, jogging after her as they left the Ithorian compound. Kiray tugged out the comlink and called Kreia out, and she came almost reluctantly. Kiray did not ask what was wrong, but approached an information terminal and discovered that it took her directly to the docks. She spoke to the Ithorian out front, and he opened the door for the three of them.

Kiray marched along, into the hangar, towards the shuttle. Atton eyed it critically and muttered, "That thing is a wreck. I doubt that it can last a clean landing."

"It appears that it can get us to where we must go," Kreia said in her usual cryptic speech, and without another word, Kiray lead them aboard.

Atton settled on the pilot's chair, Kiray next to him and Kreia in the passenger hold, and they readied the small shuttle for takeoff. It went up smoothly, and they slid away from the hangar bay, away from the station, and down towards the surface.

Kiray glanced out the viewport as they blazed through the atmosphere and towards the Restoration Zone. Telos seemed so pristine, and yet, even with her slowly-returning connection to the Force, it echoed with the destruction Darth Malak had rained down upon it. Atton was consumed with the piloting of the shuttle, or not as much as he said, "Well, what are we expecting to find here?"

"One Iridonian technician and a bunch of Czerka mercenaries," Kiray answered, "and maybe a few predators along the way. You did mention that the Ithorians imported wildlife from Dxun, or someone did."

"Then we should expect cannoks," Kreia called from the back. She was ignored as they pulled in close to a likely place with a landing pad: a base of some sort. As Atton came in for a landing, the warning signals began going off while green laser fire came right in their direction.

"_Haar'chak_! Get us out if their range!" Kiray yelled as Atton steered the shuttle to port, back the way they had came.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he shouted as he tried to avoid the shots, but Kiray yelped as the sound of tearing metal came from the left side of the ship. Sparks flew as the small shuttle started going down.

"Can't hold it!" Atton yelled as he fought gravity, trying to keep the craft level. The craft shuddered as he accidentally plowed through a hill, and he flung himself at Kiray, protecting her as they barreled out of the cockpit as the shuttle crashed right on the edge of the RZ. Kiray was barely conscious as she struggled to open the door, but before she could get to work, it popped open of its own volition. A surprised voice cried, "General!" as Kiray collapsed, blackness claiming her.

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Yes, it's short. I just want something cleanly separating Citadel Station and the surface, and this is it. Enjoy.


	15. Morality and Mortality

**A/N**: I'm sorry for the long wait! Don't hurt me, this was a long one to write. Major plot changes occurring! Ever wish Kreia could be gone before killing her at the end of the game? Be ready for a surprise...

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CHAPTER XIV: Morality and Mortality

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_After awakening, Kiray Fett has made a new ally: the Zabrak tech specialist Bao-Dur, who served with her during the Mandalorian Wars, most notably Malachor V. Leaving behind Atton Rand, Kiray departed with Bao-Dur and Kreia to discover the location of the missing _Ebon Hawk_. After continuous and wearying battles against Czerka mercenaries and wild cannoks, Kiray managed to locate the Ithorian-sympathetic commander, who kept his men from attacking the trio. Bao-Dur discovers that the _Ebon Hawk_ is in a mysteriously shielded polar area. The only way to get there is by going into the nearby military base and hoping to find a shuttle, which is exactly what Kiray and her team does_.

_After working against the activated droids and turrets, Kiray, Kreia and Bao-Dur must now face one final foe before reaching the relative safety of the shielded polar area: a monstrous tank droid defending the shuttle. And now we return, just as they are about to fight this behemoth mechanical creature..._

"And exactly _how_ should we get past that thing?" Kiray growled, pointing through the terminal station's window. The tank droid that had activated itself with the reactor core was walking itself into the wall. Bao-Dur shrugged, his remote bobbing in a similar gesture, and Kreia's constant sour look grew even more so. Kiray muttered several choice curses before spinning around to face the window again. Slowly, a plan began formulating. Kiray spun around and jabbed a gloved finger at Kreia.

"_You_ are going to shoot at _that_," she began, jabbing back at the droid, "with _this_." Kiray shoved an Aratech droid oxidizer into Kreia's arms before whirling to face Bao-Dur. "And _you _are going to use that shield-breaking ability to rap it hard, got it?"

"I read, General," the Zabrak replied, readying the two Trandoshan swords that Kiray had found and supplied him with. Kreia looked at her disapprovingly and remarked, "And what will _you_ be doing to bring down the droid?"

"I'm going to blast it," Kiray said, a grin touching her face as a crackle of electricity arced between her fingers. Kreia nodded, and Kiray led them towards the shuttle, and the droid.

It was about twenty feet high, stained a dark metal around weaponry and a pair of bright red photoreceptors. Kiray had them creep in close before Bao-Dur ran at it, breaking Kiray's surprise tactic. Kreia charged in after him, firing with the droid oxidizer, as Kiray's hand stiffened, releasing the lightning she had been gathering there. Kiray kept a sharp eye on Bao-Dur, who was rapidly growing weaker with every blow the droid made, and before he got weak enough to faint, Kiray shrieked, "Kreia, give him the oxidizer and get in there!" Bao-Dur limped away as Kreia rushed forward, drawing her vibrosword and releasing her own blast of lightning. The droid reacted to this easily, and shot out both a steam of flame and five continual blaster shots.

"KREIA!" Kiray yelled, watching as the old woman crumple under the barrage. She forgot her carefully-planned strategy and charged forward, screaming in every single language she knew, from Mando'a all the way down to the grittiest of Huttese, and attacked the huge droid before it could even pinpoint its next target. Followed up with one solid blast of lightning and a stream of fire from Bao-Dur, the tank droid exploded and sparked, toppling onto its side. Kiray released the huge rush she'd gotten for the final blow and dropped down to Kreia's side. Although she had no love for the old witch, Kiray couldn't help but try to form a link to her, and she felt her efforts crash about her as she looked on Kreia's changed face. Her entire face had been blackened by fire, and her robe was nothing but ashes.

"It is too late..." Kreia whispered, her voice rough and broken. Kiray reached for her hand and grasped it tight, answering, "No. There's – there's no one left to help me learn and recover. Who will help me, if you can't?"

"Don't...worry for me," Kreia coughed, her life slipping away before Kiray's eyes. Bao-Dur was still attempting to get around the hulk's remains and to Kiray, but he would also be too late to offer help. Kreia coughed again, reaching up with her handless wrist, and muttered, "There will...be a (coughing violently) time when you...must choose between... (coughs again) those you care for...and what is your destiny...A task that I cannot help with." Tears stung Kiray's eyes as the old woman truly smiled up at her and said, "Farewell, my final apprentice..."

With that, Kiray felt the Force's shudder as Kreia passed on, and the hand became insubstantial before it fell from Kiray's hand. Bao-Dur finally appeared, carrying a heavy-duty medpac, but stopped when he watched Kiray shrug off her long robe and shrouded Kreia in its green-gray folds.

"She's gone?" he asked flatly as Kiray rose, who nodded solemnly. Bao-Dur sighed heavily as he stowed away the medpac, and listened amazedly as Kiray whispered in her native tongue:

"_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum: _Kreia, Cassus Fett, Kahned Fett." Kiray rose and noticed Bao-Dur's confused look. She shook her head before drawing out the comlink. "Atton, do you read?"

"Loud and clear, sweetheart! What's up?"

"We've got a pinpoint on the _Hawk_, and a shuttle. We'll be coming to pick you up in a few."

"Got it! Can't wait to see you." Kiray closed the channel and replaced the comlink on her belt. Bao-Dur was still staring, and Kiray noticed.

"What? Fighting Mandalorians for a few years makes you well-versed in their customs," Kiray lied, but Bao-Dur didn't question her as he followed her onto the shuttle. Within ten minutes, they were in the air, and they quickly landed to pick up Atton. The smoke from the crash had barely dissipated, and was extremely easy to spot.

"Hey, I was getting worried, you've been out there for so long!" Atton exclaimed as he clambered onto the shuttle. He stopped when he noticed the main person he clashed with missing. "Where's-"

"Dead," Kiray replied shortly, getting up from the pilot's chair and allowing Atton to sit. Bao-Dur closed the main hatch and Atton shot them up rapidly from the ground, up and towards a pole of Telos. Bao-Dur decided to lie down and relax from that final battle while Kiray stared out of the window. Atton emerged from the refresher and, after settling down in the pilot's chair, asked, "So?"

"So what?"

"How did she go?"

"Got roasted by a flamethrower and blasted five times in the chest," Kiray said in a flat monotone, "We couldn't do anything to save her."

Atton winced at the description of Kreia's death as snow began blowing fiercely in their path. They were silent for a time before he glanced back at Bao-Dur. "Does he know?"

"Know what?"

"_You _know...your heritage."

"No, he doesn't. I plan on keeping it that way."

"Why?"

"Iridonia and its colonies were one of the first targets hit early on in the Wars," Kiray answered with a bit more life to her voice rather than on the earlier subject, "He joined the war effort because he wanted to cast revenge on the _Mando'ade_ that murdered his people. If he finds out that his general is Mandalorian, he might not be too happy. And trust me, Bao-Dur is not someone you want to make angry."

"Ah," Atton answered, the shuttle returning to silence again. The snow grew thicker, and it got cold very quickly. Kiray shivered, regretting using her robe as a shroud. Atton noticed this and reached back into his pack, pulling out his worn brown jacket and covering Kiray's shoulders with it. Her amber eyes looked up at him as she tightened her arms around the warm leather.

"Thanks," she murmured, earning a grin from Atton before he settled back down. Kiray could sense that this jacket had been through a lot, and there were a few signs of dark acts in Atton's past underneath the cheeriness of the surface. _Is this a sign of who Atton really is? Someone who has some dark secrets in his past, and tries to hide them for fear of the blame?_ she wondered, but put the matter out of her mind as a mesa that had shields around it appeared on the sensors.

"Is that our destination?" Atton asked, prodding the screen and the little red anomaly. Kiray nodded as she strapped in, Atton following suit, as they dove through the clouds and the snowstorm. The mesa became visible, and it seemed almost artificial, but that was the last thing on Kiray's mind as they drew closer to where the _Ebon Hawk_ was hidden. She watched the outside expectantly, growing steadily more euphoric as she readied herself to leave Telos for good, when the proximity alarm went off.

"What the hell- shit!" Atton growled, "It's a homing missile, but it must have some kind of disabling signal on it! The shuttle isn't responding!"

Kiray refocused and looked out, seeing the stream of white smoke rocketing towards them. Her hands grabbed at Atton's controls as they fought to make the shuttle get out of the missile's path, but it drew closer..._closer..._

It ripped into the left wing, and the shuttle instantly responded and plunged into a nose dive.

"Not good!" Kiray yelled as they both pushed on the controls, leveling the craft out but not bringing it out of its downward spiral. The shuttle skipped once, twice against the snow-covered rock before burying itself into the ground. Kiray growled as she checked on Atton, who was out cold, and Bao-Dur, who was even worse off. She yanked Atton out of his seat, grabbed Bao-Dur's good arm, and dragged them out, Bao-Dur's little remote bobbing up and down after her. The strain caused her to fall onto the wet snow, and she breathed heavily, reveling in the cold.

She rose once more a few minutes later, Atton to her right, both brushing off snowflakes. "You all right there?" she asked.

"As good as I can get!" Atton replied, wiping snow from the turquoise metal on his suit of armor. Kiray stretched a little bit, and felt a familiar prickle along her back. Atton glanced over her shoulder, and, eyebrows folding into a V, mumbled, "Looks like we've got trouble on your six." Kiray slowly turned, and saw two dark-armored humanoids and two silver assassin droids like the one on Peragus.

"Stay sharp," Kiray murmured, passing Atton a pair of vibroblades before they made their way towards the mercenary party. The armored men were masked, and the droids didn't say a word, which allowed Kiray to be mercifully relieved as she arced an icy look at hers and Atton's visible enemy.

"You want the droids on the men?" he asked.

"One guy, one droid."

"Want to watch my back?"

"_Ni hukaatii'ni shebs ti kama_! I've got my own back to watch."

"All right, then. Just get a grenade ready."

"I'll take the ion. Plasma's going later." Kiray tossed the grenade up and down, an icy smile on her face, before chucking it at the nearest assassin droid. It went down easily, allowing Kiray to run after a blaster-wielding masked man, who panicked and ran off the side of the mesa. Kiray heard the bone-sickening crunch as he landed, and attacked the other man as Atton dealt with his droid.

Kiray slashed across his back, drawing his attention from Atton, and gave him a hard head-butt before cutting across his face with a poisoned blade. He screamed as the Devaronian poison raced into his bloodstream, his legs kicking and the rest of his body spasming. Atton took care of his droid and stopped before getting the weakening assailant.

Kiray stooped down and grabbed the front of the man's clothes, pulling him close, and growled, "Who sent you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," he murmured, straining against the poisonous reaction. Kiray brought the other blade close to the open wound across his face, and the mercenary twitched in fear this time, and he burst forth, "The droids were sent by Goto, from Nar Shaddaa."

"And you and your friend?" The blade came a little closer.

"Mandalore sent us. We weren't told to kill, only to incapacitate."

Kiray stood still for a moment. "_ Mandalore_ sent you? He's been dead for years!"

"Someone found the helm and took his place. He's on Dxun right now, rebuilding Clan Ordo and planning to find the rest of the clans." The man's life was slipping away now, and Kiray dove for her medical kit. She readied a kolto syringe and stabbed it into the man's neck. He groaned as the tan skin reknit itself, and the poison purged itself from his system. Kiray still held his uniform and quietly asked, "Who are you?"

The man didn't speak, but reached for his mask. It peeled away, revealing a short, well-kept beard, deep brown eyes, and mud brown hair. Kiray gasped, staring at the man's face. He smiled brightly and said, "Hey, Kir."

"_Kahned?_ Is it really you?" Tears were rolling down her face, and Kiray leaped at her brother. Kahned Fett grabbed his little sister in his strong arms and twirled her around, like he used to do back home. Kiray laughed before Kahned lowered her to the ground. Atton looked on in envy, arms crossed. Kiray noticed this, and ragged her brother over to him.

"Atton, don't worry. This is my brother, Kahned. Kahned, this is Atton Rand. He's been helping me out since I came back to Republic space." Kahned reached out and took Atton's hand, engulfing it in his own huge palm, and replied, "Nice to meet you, Rand."

"Likewise," Atton answered through gritted teeth, feeling his hand get squashed by Kahned's, and was mercifully relieved when it was released. Kiray hugged her brother again, and had to keep a stream of questions from bubbling up within her. She glanced out across the mesa and noticed a strange rise off to the south. Without saying a thing, she ran off towards it."Kiray! Wait!" Atton yelled, running after her. Kahned just shook his head and muttered, "Typical," before running after both of them. He stopped at an open doorway, and knowing Kiray was probably down it, he followed.

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Kahned emerged in a huge underground facility. Kiray and Atton were a few steps ahead, staring down three white-robed women holding quarterstaffs. The three of them walked forward, and the one in the center spoke in a soft, alluring voice.

"Lower your weapons. We mean you no harm." Atton's blasters were ready, but Kiray signaled him to lower them. She glanced over to Kahned, whose eyes were fixed on one of the Echani-trained women. Kiray rolled her eyes and said, "All right." She tossed her sword to the ground, followed by a reluctant Atton's pistols and, after a short delay, Kahned's blades laid side-by-side. Atton and Kahned were led away, and Kiray found herself alone.

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"It always seems to be that I end up in a force cage without my jacket!" Atton complained. Kahned sighed and glanced over to the Iridonian, who was still out like a rock. He glanced back to Atton and asked, "Are you always this whiny?"

"If I'm stuck in a fracking force cage for the third time within a month, then yeah, I'm nearly always like this." Atton groaned as he slid down along the single metal support to the ground. Kahned's eyes still hadn't moved, and that made Atton wary. "What're you looking at?"

"I'm looking at someone who could cause some serious trouble for my sister," Kahned rumbled. Atton instantly got the drift that he wasn't as restrained as Kiray as the warrior continued, "You were one of those hunters Revan trained. One of the best, as I recall. But your name wasn't Atton then, was it?"

Atton was getting uncomfortable, and suddenly felt the hard push of something against his mind. He grabbed his head as the pressure grew harder, and he cried, "What're you _doing?!?!_ Get out of my head!"

"Relax, you idiot!" Kahned growled, "I know you're able to kill my sister, and – oh! Now _that's _interesting...you nearly did before – you _nearly_ – you sick fiend!"

"I didn't want to, damn it!" Atton yelled, getting terribly scared, "Things got out of hand, and _he_ – "

"Not he. _You_. You were him, and he nearly killed her." Kahned's eyes were little more than narrow slits as he continued, "If you _ever_ try and do it again, I swear that you will have no place to hide in the galaxy from me."

"But, what if I tell her the truth?"

"If she's who she was as I remember her, she'll forgive you. If not...well, we'll have to see, now won't we?" Atton gulped and fainted. Kahned shook his head and muttered, "What a moron." He crossed his legs and rested his hands behind his head, waiting.

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Kiray strode up the ramp until she reached a wide chamber with twelve seats arrayed in a circle. It looked very familiar, and chills ran up and down Kiray's spine as she paused at the foot of the next ramp. The door above opened, revealing a slim woman in her late forties with white hair. Her dignified stance was extremely familiar, and Kiray stiffened at the sight of her.

"So, you have returned, like you did after the Mandalorian Wars," Master Atris began, her ice-chip eyes narrow. Kiray's back arched even stiffer and calmly answered, "Atris, what a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here, of all people."

"Who would you have wanted to see?" Atris barked, "Revan?"

"Kavar, actually." Kiray met Atris's cold glare as the Jedi master asked, "Why have you come here? I hope it was not for small talk."

"I was actually just scouting the area."

"Really? Particularly when every square meter outside this mesa is contaminated?"

"Point taken. But I was on a shuttle."

"Don't you realize what I have heard you have done?" That threw Kiray off guard for a moment. "What're you talking about Atris? If this is about Peragus, that was not my fault."

"Really? Like how Dxun, Serroco, and Malachor V were accidents?" Kiray silently fumed as she shot back, "At least I did something about my people striking out at the Outer Rim. You and the rest of the Council except Kavar and Lonna sat back and were perfectly content to let the Rim worlds burn!"

"You are just as stubborn as you were before!" Atris growled, eyes narrow, "Your ignorance has not only caused the death of Telos, but for twenty other worlds across the Outer Rim!"

"You mean –" Kiray's eyes went wide as she finally realized what she'd done. "Oh _haar'chak..._"

"Telos is a test to see if reconstruction is possible to accomplish on a mass scale," Atris said matter-of-factly, "With Peragus gone, Citadel Station will crash into the surface, and the Republic will never try another project like that again, you understand?"

"Oh, no...I've kept those twenty worlds from recovering," Kiray moaned, "They'll be dead for countless years...all because of _me..._" Tears stung Kiray's eyes as the enormity of the entire galaxy's recovery crashed around her, and her sweet ignorance was torn away into the cold light of reality. Atris watched as she fell to the floor, moaning sadly, and the Jedi Master found enough heart within her for the exile to come down to her level and give her a supportive hug.

"It will be all right," she whispered, "The galaxy has gone through worse." Kiray nodded, and as she wiped away a few tears and glanced up, her eyes locked onto the lightsaber in Atris's hands. The amber lights brightened for a second, and her hand reached imperceptibly to it.

"Is that...?"

"It is," Atris said kindly, "or rather, _was_." She expertly twirled the weapon as the gleaming cyan blades extended from either end of the lightsaber, and Kiray almost broke down again, but this time in happiness.

"My lightsaber," she whispered, reaching for it. Atris looked on and saw what Kiray had gone through for the past seven years of her exile in her eyes. Very slowly, Atris held the elegant mechanism out to its former owner. Kiray slowly grasped it, and sighed in comfort as her fingers felt the familiar wear marks along the black-patterned handle and slid into place. Kiray's eyes raced back to Atris, asking, begging, to have it again, and in reply, the white-haired Jedi nodded.

Joy spread across Kiray's face as she rose from her knees, holding her lightsaber as if it were sacred, and bowed before Atris. "Is there anything that I can do to repay you for this great gift to me? Or to undo what I have done to the galaxy?"

"And what could you do, apart from joining the ranks of my handmaidens?" Atris asked in response, causing Kiray to get a disgusted look upon her face. It was soon replaced by realization as she spoke quickly, saying, "The _darjetii_ have returned."

"The Sith?" Atris asked in surprise, "But Malak and Revan were the last of them!" Kiray shook her head and continued, "These Sith fight from the shadows. You're going to need someone on your side who can deal with them exactly like they fight."

"Indeed, that would be a great help. I was going to inform you anyways, but this is an excellent reason for accomplishing my task," Atris mused, before frosting Kiray with a more commonplace glare and continuing, "There are...others, other masters, who can help us fight against the Sith. If you can find them, and tell them to assemble on Dantooine, we can call a council and decide on a plan of action."

"Agreed," Kiray said with a smile before three handmaidens appeared at her back. "Uh, before I go, Atris, where're my friends and my brother?"

"You will find them in the main irrigation chamber," one Handmaiden answered. Kiray analyzed her face and noticed that this one was different from the others; however, she did not pursue it as she followed two of them out and down the ramp. The handmaiden who had spoken to her remained with Atris, but did not return soon. Kiray took a deep breath and replaced her lightsaber on her belt, under Atton's jacket.

_I should probably give this back,_ Kiray thought, and was about to go find him, Kahned, and Bao-Dur when a handmaiden stopped her.

"Your friends are impressive," she said breathily, "and we were almost afraid that your brother would cause a problem, but he did not."

"What about Atton?"

"Ah, the other one. He was ready to fight against us and keep you from being held, but he left his stance when you were escorted to Atris."

"Wait a second," Kiray broke in, "Are you telling me that _Atton_ was standing in an Echani stance? Where would he have learned that?"

"Military special forces are usually taught such things," the maid replied, and before Kiray could ask another question she sauntered off, almost floating on the air.


	16. Revelation

CHAPTER XV: Revelation

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Kiray took the time to explore Atris's hiding-place before rescuing Atton, Kahned, and Bao-Dur, as well as time she needed to straighten things out in her mind. Her eyes returned to her lightsaber, but her joy at having it back was already fading. The _Mando Jetii_ who had once wielded this had been headstrong, ready to leap into battle; that was not who she was now. Kiray considered taking the weapon apart and making it anew, but when she opened a door, she found an area that was much more interesting.

It was the main area where the handmaidens stayed. Kiray counted six doors. That meant six opportunities to locate something new to wear instead of Atton's jacket. She paused before pulling out her lockpick at the first door. Atton had tried to protect her, and with an Echani stance. Where had he learned it though, and what circumstances had he been thrust into to learn such a thing? All questions that could be asked once he was found and freed.

Kiray pried open a plasteel cylinder, not finding anything apart from a few credits. She made her way around, opening the doors and accessing the at least one storage container within each room. In fact, Kiray's darker mood barely lightened when she found a replacement robe and flung it on over her armor. She glanced down at this too, and had furtive thoughts of recrafting it before turning on her heel to leave, only to be stopped by the strange handmaiden.

"Forgive me," she breathed, trying to dodge around Kiray, "I did not mean to get in your way."

"It's nothing," Kiray excused herself, straightening her breastplate and smoothing her robe, "But I must ask you something." The maiden looked over her in worry, but replied, "Then please, ask it."

"You appear...different...from the rest of Atris's handmaidens," Kiray began awkwardly, "and there is also something strange that I sense within you, yet suppressed."

"My...my looks favor my mother," the handmaiden replied, "But we speak of it very little."

"If this is a sore subject, then please, let us keep away from it," Kiray excused, catching the cold tone in the young maid's voice, "but the other matter...if you would let me?" Kiray lightly gestured a linking between their minds, and, after a little trepidation, the handmaiden allowed Kiray to probe, carefully. After lightly poking into the deeper, quieter areas that were unconsciously touched, Kiray felt it: the touch of the Force within this girl. _It is strong enough for me to feel it; why couldn't Atris?_ Kiray wondered as she receded from the maiden's mind. _How strange..._

"Did you find what you sought?" the other asked, shaking Kiray from her thoughts. The Mandalorian replied, "I did indeed. Do you want to know what I saw?"

"What?"

"I saw the touch of the Force upon you, as it would be within a Jedi Knight," Kiray answered, watching the handmaiden's reaction go from shock to barely concealed joy and to impassivity within a few seconds. Kiray's eyes found their way into the gray of the handmaiden's, saying, "If you wish, you can come with me. I may not be a master like Atris, but I sure can try to show you the control and mastery needed to be a Jedi."

"I thank you for you offer," the handmaiden answered, her voice shaking on the edge of tears, "but I cannot. If other circumstances were apparent, I would, but –"

"But you don't want to know," Kiray finished softly, "I understand. But if you are interested in my offer, then please, contact me, and I will meet you." The maiden nodded silently and dashed away. Kiray sighed and shook her head. _She's also the one who caught Kahned's eye. If she isn't careful..._

She shuddered at the thought of her brother in a love life, and proceeded back towards the central chamber. There were three force cages active: two of the occupants were unconscious, and the third stood as soon as she entered.

"So, you're back," Kahned commented, "Did you find what you were here for?"

"It depends," Kiray replied coolly, "on what perspective you see what I have found out from. But here, let's get you out of there, along with Atton and Bao-Dur." She found the lever and tugged it, hearing the echo of the sound around her. There was a groan from Atton, and a few mutters of, "Stupid, over-forceful..." as he rose, rubbing his head. Kiray watched as he refocused on their surroundings, and her.

"Oh, hey! Uh, well, y'see, there were these warrior women that came outta nowhere, and you guys were pretty much out from the crash, and...uh..."

"Were you going to save me with your Echani training?" Kiray asked, waiting for Atton's reaction. He stared at her in shock, then in his typical joking manner.

"Hey, sometimes pretending to know that stuff can scare away some pretty bad people, y'know..."

"The handmaidens recognized it as a military special forces training technique. Thus, how would _you_, a supposed smuggler, have special forces training?" Atton's eyes went wide as he struggled against spilling everything. Kahned gave him a long glare, and Atton quickly excused, "Well, there've been some opportunities in my past...that allowed such things..."

"Why don't you tell me?" Kiray asked. Almost unconsciously, her fingers twitched, and she fought to keep the trick from doing its work, but it was in vain; once called, the Force did its job. Atton nearly howled at the strength of Kiray's accidental Force persuasion, and, amazingly, he pulled through, with an angry look on his face that was directed right at Kiray, whose sorrow and apologetic glance only seemed to make him madder.

"You Jedi are all the same," he spat, face contorting with anger at an alarming rate. "Always wanting to know everything, and you're just the same. You're not who you say you are." His hateful look spun to a newly-awakened Bao-Dur, and he growled, "She's not even who _you_ think she is."

"What, the General?" Bao-Dur asked in confusion, although his tone did not betray it. Before Bao-Dur could ask further, Atton ran, presumably out towards the ship. Kiray could feel his anger falling away, only to be replaced with hurt, as he faded from her awareness. _How could I have done that, even on accident, to someone I care for – love – so much?_ Kiray could not bring herself to look at Bao-Dur, who was staring at her as if puzzling at a technical malfunction he had been tasked with, or Kahned, whose face was still impassive, scarily enough like Kreia's constant look. Not saying a word, Kiray walked along the path Atton had taken, her heart heavy at the enormity of what she'd done.

"General." Kiray stopped as Bao-Dur addressed her, but did not turn.

"What did Atton mean, when he said that you weren't what you seem? And why are you suddenly so well versed in Mandalorian customs?" The contempt with which he said _Mandalorian_ made Kiray's Mandalorian blood boil, but the Jedi half kept her under control.

"In many places, we must forget old enmity and do what we must to survive," she answered. Bao-Dur still did not appear satisfied. Kiray sighed and turned to face him, her amber eyes aching as she spoke every word.

"Bao-Dur, what if I told you that I was part of the very thing you hate? That I could have gone to the other side, and been accepted because of who I am?"

"I wouldn't believe it for a second." Kiray allowed herself a humorless chuckle.

"I thought as much. But I never told you my name, did I?"

"It's Kiray Talmara, isn't it?"

"No, Bao-Dur. I am Kiray Fett." The Iridonian stared, looking at her from head to toe, the realization hitting him like a blaster wound. But he saw what Kiray knew he would have: an old friend, his commander, revealed as part of the race that had destroyed his home, his family, his own people. Kiray turned away, the tears of both Atton's anger and Bao-Dur's growing contempt rising, as she softly whispered, "Please, Bao, do not see me as a real Mandalorian; I am still your general, your friend, and a Jedi. I – I don't want to lose another that I care for."

"I need some time, _Fett_," Bao-Dur answered coldly, stunning Kiray by not calling her 'General', and he turned his back, arms crossed over his chest. Her head bowed, and she silently led them through Atris's facility, hoping to find the _Ebon Hawk_. Before reaching what was probably a hangar, Kiray found an active containment field, holding none other than T3-M4.

"Hey there, T3!" Kiray called, dashing up to the containment field. T3 beeped and whirred happily at seeing her, before admitting something. Kiray stopped dead in her tracks.

"Atris did _what?_" Kiray asked, staring at the droid, who released a long rush of twitters as he explained. "She _downloaded_ your entire memory core? That must've taken awhile." T3 hummed apologetically, and Kiray bent down, trying on to use her special shield deactivator, and replied, "T3, it wasn't your fault that the ship got stolen. Don't go around blaming yourself for it. Now let's get you out of there." Kiray used the switch to turn it off, and T3 rolled forward and down a ramp that most likely led to the _Hawk_. Kiray sighed, and muttered to herself, "There's two people who like me now. That's better than no one." Bao-Dur was close enough for Kiray to catch a light chuckle from, but when she glanced at him, he replaced his stony expression, but Kiray saw the cracks, and grinned.

"Here's an upgrade for you," she said kindly, handing Bao-Dur her trusted double-bladed sword. He looked at it carefully before accepting it, and Kiray barely caught three words he said:

"Thanks, General Fett." Kiray smiled, glad to know that he would not hold a grudge against her. _ Now there's only Atton to deal with._

She followed T3 out to the hangar, and, together, she, Kahned, and Bao-Dur stepped onto the _Hawk_.

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Bao-Dur pulled her aside, into the maintenance hold, and said, "I'm sorry, General, but I never would've thought –"

"It's nothing, Bao. I just didn't want anyone to know and calling me a traitor," Kiray answered. Bao-Dur gave her a small smile and replied, "Thanks for telling me, though. You trusted me enough to let me know that you were Mandalorian, and now I accept that. It wasn't because of you that Iridonia was ravaged by your clan-brothers."

"There weren't any Fetts on that assault," Kiray murmured, remembering the news reports. "I would've recognized our ships if they were. No, they were all Kasts and Dalas. We of Clan Fett aren't exactly best of friends with them." Bao-Dur nodded, before nodding to her equipment.

"That armor looks like it's been through a lot," he commented, "and your old lightsaber doesn't look like it fits properly in your hand." Kiray glanced down, and noticed that, sure enough, her armor was a mess, stained with oil and a few flecks of blood, and her lightsaber looked like it belonged in an apprentice's hand rather than hers.

"I was thinking about rebuilding both," Kiray said, "and the lightsaber's the easiest part."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that for my armor, I need _beskar_ – Mandalorian iron – or it won't truly represent me." Kiray frowned as she tucked her chin under her hand. "Where would I find some, though?" Bao-Dur shrugged, and he interestedly moved over to the side and began fixing things up. Kiray noticed the workbench, and carefully took the time to entirely disassemble her lightsaber. She tossed away the old hilt and searched around for a pipe that could easily fit in her hand, finding it in one of the workstation's drawers.

Carefully, she built the saber: cutting through the bland metal to place a hard black stone inlay along the hilt, installing power cell, focusing lens, emitter matrix, and, lastly, reverently, her gleaming cyan crystal. The final piece set, Kiray closed the tiny panel, tightened the focus and, taking a deep breath, brushed her thumb against the activation switch. The cyan blade erupted from either end, thrumming softly, and Kiray sighed. The new blade felt more real, more like it belonged to the her of the now. She disabled the blade, and carefully made her way to the cockpit. Atton was sitting in the pilot's chair, and when she approached, his face tightened.

"What, are you going to try and break into my head again? I'm sure there's a few childhood memories you haven't ripped away from me." Kiray's gut curled in guilt, as she shuffled her feet, staring at the plated floor.

"I didn't want to break in," she began softly, "It was a mistake, but I just wanted some answers. I wanted to know if your training would ever be of a good use, you know?"

Atton's face bore a small grin as he turned to face her. "You mean that? Well, thanks. And I just want to say that, well, I acted like a big baby when you, erm, asked me about it, and I'm sorry for that."

"Accepted. Now let's get underway, shall we?" Atton smiled as he readied the _Hawk_ for takeoff while Kiray busied herself at the navicomputer.

The _Ebon Hawk _rose from its place in Atris's facility, and roared up and out towards the stars. Kiray gave Atton a nod as she settled in the copilot's chair, and Atton opened up the comm..

"All right, everyone, next stop is the Smuggler's Moon! Hang on, cause we're jumping to lightspeed _now!_" In one swift movement, Atton closed the comm. and wrenched the jump lever. Everyone shouted at the short warning, and even Kiray toppled to her knees as the _Ebon Hawk_ lurched into hyperspace.


	17. Payments of All Sorts

CHAPTER XVI: Payments of All Sorts

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"Here we are!" Atton declared once they had landed, "Nar Shaddaa. It's where everyone who wants to hide does."

"And you know this from experience?" Kahned broached, getting a sharp glare from Kiray, who did not want to lose Atton's returning friendship. However, Atton shrugged, replying in his old tone of hiding, "Eh, everyone needs to hide at some point or another, right?" Kahned nodded before turning to Kiray.

"The droid was able to recover a couple of things from Atris's database during the hookup," he commented, thumbing towards T3. The utility droid beeped excitedly, and Kiray's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"There's a record of my trial?"

"I think he's found it," Bao-Dur said with some surprise, and T3 activated the playback. Kiray watched painfully as she watched the rather embarrassing turn to Kavar and the short translation of Lonna Vash. When Kiray watched her younger self jab the lightsaber into the central stone, she recognized the look of anguish as she battled against retaliating against the Council, and watched with a soft sigh as she, the old Kiray, turned on her heel.

"Is exile the right path for her?" Lonna Vash asked once Kiray's form vanished from the camera angle. Atris whirled angrily towards Vash, growling, "You sensed the dark side within her! All she will do is go and join Revan again!"

"No..." Master Zez-Kai Ell answered, "her path does not lie with Revan. But it is strange. I feel the Force fading within her, leaving a wound, echoing."

"She has been tainted by the dark side!" Atris pressed, jabbing a finger the way the old Kiray had gone, "How can you not sense it?"

"It is not the dark side," Vrook grumbled. Kiray was once again struck by the thought that he closely resembled a shriek-hawk of Mandalore as he continued, "But whatever it is, it means no good to us. That much is certain."

"But she has been touched by Revan!" Atris rumbled dangerously, like a volcano about to blow its top, "And it is not _our_ fault that Revan turned so many to her cause."

"Yet _we_ take responsibility, " Vash replied, looking at Kavar rather than Atris. Kiray's old mentor was staring moodily down the corridor from the Council chambers as Atris burst, her voice quavering with anger and hatred, "Malachor V should have been her grave! Then we would not need to worry about that...whatever it was."

"I think we will be seeing her again," Kavar murmured, letting a watching Kiray knife her fist into the air. Vrook glanced over to the otherwise silent Kavar.

"If she discovers her fate, which she may never do, then yes. For now, we must wait, and hope this comes for the best." The recording faded, and Atton burst out, "Well, the Jedi sure like their secrets, don't they?" He earned another glare from Kiray as she muttered, "That last part, though...I didn't have a clue. That means the Council was hiding something from me."

"Well, if one of the Jedi masters is hiding here, then maybe they can tell you," Atton encouraged. Kiray shook her head and glanced over to T3.

"What're the odds of us finding one of those masters here?" T3 twittered a few times, allowing Kiray's mouth to drop.

"_One in four?!?!_ How is that possible?" T3 displayed a short list, showing where the Masters Atris had sent them to find were. Kiray glanced down the list, noticing all the names paired with planets: Zez-Kai Ell on Nar Shaddaa; Kavar on Onderon; Vrook on Dantooine; Lonna Vash on Korriban; and, it seemed for good measure, Atris on Telos.

"All right, we have to find Zez-Kai," Kiray grumbled, "and the great thing is, he used to live here before joining the Jedi; he'll know this place like the back of his hand." Atton grimaced, Bao-Dur was impassive as always, T3 hummed softly, and Kahned, of all people, raised his blades and called, "_Oya Jetii_!" Kiray laughed at her brother's antics, and, summoning Atton to follow her, departed from the _Ebon Hawk_.

The first thing Kiray was hit by was the stench; a random mix of ship exhaust, speeder engines, and, of all things, alcohol. Atton took a deep breath next to her and said with the thickest amount of sarcasm Kiray had ever heard from him, "Ah, the sweet smell of Nar Shaddaa! Makes you want to establish a Jedi Academy here, doesn't it?" Kiray just stared at him for a time before she felt it: a pulse of life coming directly from the moon, and it was almost loud enough to make Kiray cover her ears; but she didn't, but settled for saying, "Nah, I was thinking of building a luxury resort. Right smack in the lower levels, I think."

"You definitely don't want to do that," Atton answered, a ghostly smile on his face, and then his eyes wandered over Kiray's shoulder. "We got trouble."

Kiray lurched and spun around, and watched, trying not to laugh, at an albino Toydarian that was flying over towards them.

"Hey, you! What're you doin', sinkin' that junk's landing struts onto my landing pad? I've got waiting customers, y'know." The Toydarian came to a stop level to Kiray's eyes, flapping his wings furiously to stay in the air. Atton glowered to the other landing pads nearby, which were also empty, and he remarked, "Yeah. Lots and lots of customers."

"Also, this _is_ a landing pad," Kiray pointed out, "Ships land on it?"

"Don't go arguin' the job of a pad to _me_," the Toydarian growled, "And if you want that pile of scrap metal to stay here, you're gonna hafta pay somethin'."

Kiray frowned, carefully skimming the Toydarian's surface thoughts, and replied, "I think fifty credits will suffice."

"Nuh-uh! You ain't skmmin' me that easy!" Kiray's eyes narrowed dangerously, and her hands reached for the Mandalorian heavy pistols on her belt.

"And tell me, _vod_," she said, slipping into Mando'a for effect while drawing her pistols, "_Copaani mirshmure'cye?_ Cause I can give you one, if you want one." The Toydarian instantly understood the threat because of all the Mandalorian mercenaries that passed through threatened him the same way, and sometimes with blasters in his face like Kiray was doing now, and backed off, saying, "Actually, fifty will be fine. Perfectly fine."

"Lovely," Kiray answered, holstering her blasters and drawing out fifty credits, tossing them into the Toydarian's hand before sauntering past, Atton tailing her.

"And what were you saying?" he asked when he caught up to her after Kiray had warded off a pair of Exchange thugs threatening a refugee. The refugee left, carrying five credits, and Kiray answered, "I asked Quello if he wanted a smack in the face. I guess he also saw it as 'Are you asking for a blaster shot in the face?'"

"Ah," Atton remarked as Kiray proceeded into the main square of the Refugee Sector. She wandered towards a bright red entryway, and stopped just outside the door.

"What is it now?" Atton asked as Kiray turned around. She eyed him and ordered, "Stay here. I'll be right back." Before he could keep questioning her, Kiray ran back towards the _Hawk_. Something just wasn't right, and her feeling grew even stronger as she clambered up the entry ramp. Bao-Dur and his trusty little remote weren't in the maintenance shop, and Kiray couldn't sense either Kahned or T3. All she could sense was a dark, foreboding presence to the left.

Very slowly, Kiray turned and followed her instincts, and emerged in the port-side dormitory. Hunched over on the floor, meditating, was a hooded young woman, no older than Kiray herself. Her clothing was a wine-red, cinched with a black leather belt.

"_Tion'cuy?,_" Kiray challenged, adding, "Where are my _vodes,_ my friends?" The other did not reply, but stood instead, drawing a red-bladed lightsaber. Kiray's twin cyan blades extended to defend right before the assassin struck, and the sparks of the crashing blades rang through the ship. Kiray leaped into the air, lightsaber high and a fistful of Force lightning ready, and struck downward, shocking the woman as well.

The assassin merely grunted as she took the attack, and tried to use the Force to scare Kiray off. _Nice try,_ Kiray thought as she flung the rear blade forward against the metal floor, sparking dangerously close to the woman's feet, while leaning in and striking with a hard punch across the face and leaping back, clipping the cyan blade against the woman's lightsaber. The blood-red light sputtered and died, and the woman knelt down, caressing it in remorse.

"My lightsaber," she whispered breathily before looking towards Kiray. Chills ran up and down the Mandalorian's spine as the woman's unseen gaze seemed to delve directly into hers. "You are superior," the woman continued, "and my life...my life is yours."

"No, no, no," Kiray said, rushing to the woman's side, "I can't and I won't kill you."

"You _must_!" she retorted, "I was not strong enough to bring you to my Master, and if I do not, my life is forfeit."

"Don't talk like that," Kiray reproached her, glancing down at the wreckage of the woman's lightsaber, then saw the bloody gashes she had caused during their fight. "Hey, you're hurt. C'mon, I can get you to the medical bay." Kiray grabbed the woman's arm and flung it over her shoulder, helping the woman rise as she whispered, "You have defeated me, and I...I am nothing." She fainted, putting all of her weight onto Kiray. With a grumble, Kiray drew out her comlink and called Atton back. He was shocked a few minutes later as Kiray thrust the other half of the woman's weight onto him, and, together, carried her into the medical bay to treat her wounds.

"I don't believe it!" Atton breathed when they were finished, "She's a Miraluka!"

"A Mira-who-what?" Kiray asked, cleaning up after themselves. Atton rolled his eyes and repeated, "A _Miraluka_. I thought they had all died out rather suddenly."

"Aren't they also called 'Seers'? Since they can see through the Force?" Kiray asked, looking at the woman in a new light. Miraluka were seen widely as the most stoic of any sentient race touched by the Force, and only a few more pro-active ones became Jedi. Atton nodded, and added, "Of course, I've heard of Miraluka Jedi, but not Sith. This is a new one."

"What about that system-wide scan we did?" Kiray asked, "Was there an ID?"

"Yep," Atton replied, bringing up the profile, "Visas Marr, an ex-Jedi on leave to her homeworld of Katarr during a convocation there. Everyone was presumed dead, or, at least, everyone but her."

"Huh," Kiray murmured, "Wonder where she's been all that time. Listen, can you tell me when she's up and around? I really didn't mean to hurt her."

"No problem." Kiray nodded and left, descending down the access ramp alone.

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**A/N:** Yay! I've got Visas in, and finally, too. Now there's another proper Jedi on the _Hawk_, before Kiray trains the first of the Lost Jedi...and I'm not saying who it is:P


	18. Getting Attention

CHAPTER XVII: Getting Attention

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_Two hours later..._

Kiray grumbled as she sat down in front of the bar in the cantina of the Entertainment Promenade. She'd been spending the past two hours doing all sorts of works, trying to get the Exchange's notice. She'd settled a trade war between a Duros and a Rodian; she was able to talk sense into a group of Serroco thugs from beating up on the refugees and alleviate the Exchange's chokehold on the sector. There were so many things she'd done, and yet it wasn't enough. According to a Snivvian outside, Kaalah-Nah, if she could figure out one last thing to get the Exchange's unswerving attention, then they'd most likely attempt to contact her.

But that was hardly all Kiray had to worry about. She ordered herself a spiced Corellian ale and took a sip as she wondered at the two Twi'leks that had approached her in the Refugee Sector. She had approached one of them when they appeared, and he had offered a strange piece of information: that Atton Rand, a man she'd loved, lost, and regained in trust across at least three days, wasn't _Atton_ at all. She fingered her comlink, wondering if she had to confront him with this information. But then there was the thing she had to do against the Exchange...suddenly, Kiray's eyes skimmed over to the band in the corner, and she got a clever grin on her face as she drew the comlink.

"Atton, come in."

"I'm here, Kir. What's up?"

"Could you come on down to the cantina really quick? There's a plan I have, and I need you for it to work."

"All right..." Kiray nodded and, after closing the channel, ordered Atton's typical juma juice before he sauntered in, looking rather dashing in Kiray's original set of Mandalorian armor. He slid into the seat next to her and smiled when he saw the waiting juma. "You know me too well."

"I'll know for certain once we do this," Kiray said, whispering conspiratorially, explaining her plan and a tiny bit of her history in the process. Atton's eyebrows went up at her plan's boldness, but he nodded in agreement. Kiray allowed herself to grin before she wandered up to the band leader, a Bith.

"Hello there," Kiray said in the voice of one of her interchangeable roles. The Bith glanced up and his folds of skin stretched flat in astonishment.

_"My goodness! Is this the great Kiran Numanir?" _he asked in his musical speech, _"The singer whose voice can melt the Mandalorian's armor off his ice-cold heart?"_

"It sure is," Kiray replied in her voice of Kiran, a sultry alto with a Coruscanti accent, "I don't want to cause too much of a stir being here, but can you let me sing one last time? I haven't done so in so long."

_"Of course, Miss Numanir! You are always welcome to sing with my band!"_ the Bith exulted, and he quickly set up for her and stood on a platform. Kiray quickly shed her robes and armor and quickly grabbed a deep blue singer's costume off the rack and pulled it on. She saw Atton in an interested crowd, and she finished redressing just as the Bith declared:

_"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention! We have an amazing guest star to sing with us tonight! She's made three galactic tours within the most recent decade, and had ten record albums. Her last concert was sold out across twenty systems, and every one of her listeners can attest to her powerful emotion in her words! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...KIRAN NUMANIR!!"_

Kiray stood up ramrod straight as a spotlight hit her, and she flashed her best smile to all the attentive crowd members, who roared in seeing her. Kiray stepped onto the stage and shook the Bith's three-fingered hand and he shuffled away. She reached the microphone, and cried, "Hey, everyone, it's good to be back!" The crowd roared again, and Kiray turned to the band and muttered the key and song she was going to sing. A percussionist clicked his sticks together and a strong rhythm came up. Kiray felt the Force swim up into the song, pulsing with the time as her watchers clapped their hands to keep time. After a few measures, Kiray dropped into the Force's flow, and she sang:

_"Well, our hearts know us better than we know ourselves,_

_"So I'm gonna let 'em do all the talkin'." _

The crowd hummed the middle line before Kiray continued,

_"There was this place in the middle of vacuum_

_"With a big black hole and giant red star." _

There was another hum as there was a longer pause.

_"I felt the shudders along the hull_

_"I said, oh Force please help me now!" _

Her head bobbed, eyes closed, imagining Atton's face before continuing,

_"But that big black hole just wouldn't let go_

_"Just said, you're coming down to the void with me!"_

Kiray could hear Atton's voice calling the middle line, and, emboldened, she kept on.

_"I said, no, no!_

_"No, no, no, no,_

_"I said, no, no,_

_"I can't go down with you!"_

The timed applause crescendoed between the chorus and the second verse, and Kiray started,

_"I was nearly out when a thunder roared,_

_"That hole stopped dead for a beat or two."_

The middle line came out with much more gusto as the climax of the story came.

_"I cut my cord and I'm glad I done it,_

_"Cause the guy who saved me was the man I loved!"_

The crowd cheered over the middle line, but Kiray went on, finishing,

_"Took me from the place in the middle of vacuum,_

_"With a big black hole and a giant red star._

_"And that hole won't come back cause it's oh so angry_

_"But my shuttle's got a hole for the galaxy to see!_

_"That hole said, no, no._

_"No, no, no, no,_

_"It said, no, no,_

_"You can't go down with me."_

As the song finished, Kiray cried out a few more no's before calling,

_"Big black hole,_

_"And a giant red star._

_"I won't quite get there_

_"Cause my ship's forsaken me, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

_"Big black hole,_

_"And a giant red star._

_"I won't quite get there_

_"Cause my ship's forsaken me!"_

With the final line, Kiray snapped into a bow, and her audience roared. Kiray straightened, and was amazed to see Bao-Dur, Kahned, and T3 cheering with everyone else. Visas was nowhere to be seen, but Kiray could sense her at the back, watching. Kiray grinned and bowed more smoothly, and everyone stood up, clapping wildly. Kiray got off the stage and was almost instantly assaulted by admirers who begged for an autoprint, but her friends and brother made their way through the crowd and held them off for Kiray to race to a refresher and change back into her robes.

"I didn't know you could sing, General," Bao-Dur said humorously when Kiray reappeared, the navy blue dress over her shoulder. Kiray shrugged and answered, "You have to get credits somehow, and an exiled Jedi gets her allowance from the Council cut off. So I wandered around until I tried singing."

"Yeah, I remember when you were little," Kahned joked, watching Kiray flush in embarrassment before he continued, "She'd sing everyday, even when we were training with vibroblades. Dad threatened to send her to a singing school where weapons weren't allowed, and she stopped, although she did hum a lot afterwards." Kiray lightly punched him on the arm as the Bith bandmaster raced forward, nearly tripping over himself.

_"Miss Numanir, you haven't lost your touch!"_ he praised. Kiray bowed and replaced Kiran's voice before answering, "I thank you. It was wonderful to be back under the spotlight again."

_"Everyone here hopes you will come back. Please, take this, as our thanks for your art." _Kiray took the chip, and saw the high number on its account.

"It's too much!" Kiray protested, trying to hand the chip back, but the Bith refused to take it. _"I must insist. Thank you for your wonderful performance."_ Kiray sighed as he vanished, saying in her normal voice, "Force, I hate it when they give me more than I need."

"It is a good thing that you tried," Visas remarked softly, "and everyone here felt how much you loved to do what you do." Kiray nodded to the fellow Jedi before seeing Atton. She realized, rather guiltily, that she needed to confront him with her information.

"Hey guys, thanks. Head on back to the _Hawk_, I'll be there shortly." Atton was about to follow when Kiray grabbed his arm, saying, "We need to talk."

"Talk?" Atton asked, his hiding tone of voice ready, "About what?"

"I've found someone here on Nar Shaddaa," Kiray began, "who knows you." Atton chuckled softly and asked, "Did he say I owed him credits? That happens all too often around here." He laughed again, but noticed Kiray's serious look, and amended, "Okay, guess not."

"He said you're not Atton at all, and that you showed up during the war," Kiray restarted. Atton half-exploded, shouting, "I'm as Atton as Atton will ever be! And whoever your trusted informant is, he's right; I _did_ come here during the war!" Kiray was afraid again; she hadn't seen him this angry since finding out about his Echani training. The little handmaiden, she recalled, was nowhere to be seen, but just out of the corner of her eye, Kiray could see faint flashes of white against the dark steel.

"Then why were you here?" Kiray asked, trying not to be as forceful as she had been back on Telos. Atton's face softened about halfway as he glanced away, muttering, "I'm a deserter. It's what I do."

"How does that explain...you know what?"

"I was...I was part of Revan's teams that hunted Jedi." Atton faced Kiray again, still slightly pained, and continued, "I could force emotions as a shield against their attacks on the mind, and I was good at that. You don't have to be a Jedi to kill one, just...hell, even I don't know what.

"And then...I stopped. I left Revan and her army, came here to remake myself. And what you see before you...well, this is my effort." Kiray stared at Atton in shock, envisioning him as one of Revan's Jedi hunters and failing miserably. It was impossible to see this happy-go-lucky scoundrel as someone who hunted, captured, and broke Jedi, and if they didn't break, they were killed. Kiray shook her head in amazement before asking, "Can you tell me about who you were before?"

Atton looked away again, and very softly, he muttered, "My name had been...Jaq. Jaq Rand." The name rang a bell in Kiray's mind, and suddenly, she remembered...

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(FLASHBACK: four years ago, two months after exile)

Kiray groaned as her head pounded. She could feel the tight hold of binders around her wrists, and when she tried to get up, she found sets locking her to the chair she was in. Kiray tried to reach for her lightsaber, and remembered with a pang that she was an exile now, and that meant no lightsaber.

She hopped around on the chair, scraping it against the floor, and a voice suddenly growled, "Stop that, Jedi. I paid a lot for that chair, and I don't want you ruining it." Kiray's head snapped up, and she saw a tall young man with black hair and brown eyes. His face was a little pale, and his jacket looked worn, but he looked like he knew what he was doing.

"Why don't you let me go and we can talk civilly?" Kiray asked menacingly, her fists clenched behind her as she gathered her strength. The man frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't think we need to do that, General Fett."

Kiray stiffened at the title, and her eyes narrowed. "If you work for Revan or Malak, let them know that I'm not a Jedi anymore, and it was all their fault." The man stepped forward and crouched down in front of her, and he replied, "You may not be a general anymore, Fett, but you still have your uses. You're still a leader, and a damn good tactician. Revan has need of someone like you."

"_Rangir!_ I know you're one of her hunters. These are all just a bunch of mind games, but I'm best at them, with or without the Force." He laughed without mirth and said, "Name's Jaq. You might want to remember that; we're going to know each other very well soon."

Kiray spat on his boot, but he didn't react. Instead, he rose and turned away. With a roar, Kiray wrenched at her bonds, snapping them as if they were plastic, and leaped at his throat. He spun around to see the leaping Mandalorian, and brought his fist to her chin, sending her spiraling to the floor. Jaq placed his foot on Kiray's back and leaned down to her ear. "I recommend you don't try a stunt like that again."

"And I'll kill you when I do." Jaq grinned and stroked her face, muttering, "That's one thing I like about you; you're stubborn, and you always want to get your way. Well, get used to this, little miss _Mando Jetii_; you're going to find yourself like this a lot if you're not careful."

He bent down, and kissed her, and slowly removed her armor...

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"That was _you_!" Kiray shouted, anger at the act boiling up. Atton winced as she hit him again, and explained, "See, that's why I changed. I didn't want to do something like that again, and... I'm sorry. I know you hated it, and I did too." Kiray frowned, her anger at a boiling point, but she calmed enough to ask, "So why did you leave?"

"Because there was another Jedi," Atton answered, "who showed me the Force. She got past my defenses, and...it was like she'd opened a door that I'd never known about. It was amazing, but at that time, I hated her for defeating me, for getting past what I'd thought was impenetrable, and, well, I killed her." Atton looked away and muttered, "I guess you don't want to be around me anymore, you know..."

Kiray shook her head, and reached out for Atton, turning his face to meet hers. "No Atton. I've forgiven you for what you've done to me, and I forgive you for what you did to the other Jedi. It was a natural reaction, something I would've done myself in your place."

"But would you have raped someone, just because you could?"

"Well, maybe not, but I realize why you did it. You didn't want to be defeated again, so you subdued me in the manner you thought best." Kiray stared at him a moment longer, and asked, "Do you want to see the Force again?"

"I...I don't know," Atton said, his voice confused, "If it'll keep me from trying to hurt anyone else again, then...yes." Kiray smiled and hugged him, which he gratefully returned. "So what do we do to get started?"

"Just close your eyes," Kiray whispered, and watched as Atton closed his eyes, at first like a bored apprentice from the Academy that she could recall, but when Kiray got after him he got serious.

"Now, think about how you feel when you succeed at any task; any at all," Kiray began, watching a soft smile creep across Atton's face. "Now, remember what it felt like when that Jedi showed you to the Force." Atton sighed, the smile never leaving his face, and he muttered, "First kiss."

Kiray laughed, but softly Atton wouldn't hear, and finished, "Now, Atton; open that door." He took a sharp intake of air, and Kiray felt the Force flow from the barrier in Atton's mind. He opened his eyes, and he looked at Kiray with a look of peace, and he hugged her, whispering, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kiray answered, and tentatively pecked him on the cheek. Their tender moment was cut short by a short blast of static, permeated by a few shouts and hisses.

"That sounds like trouble," Kiray said, readying her lightsaber. Atton nodded, drawing his pistols, and replied, "I can feel that they're in trouble. And that handmaiden can help us out." He nodded towards the corner, and the white-robed handmaiden appeared. Kiray sighed and tossed her a light combat suit, and the maiden reluctantly donned it.

"C'mon; the more time we waste, the less chance the others have of surviving." Kiray ran out of the cantina, followed closely by Atton and the handmaiden.


	19. A Long Expected Call

CHAPTER XVIII: A Long Expected Call

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Kiray, Atton, and the handmaiden stopped right at the edge of the turn towards the _Hawk_'s platform, waiting. Atton shuffled his feet and the handmaiden plucked at her combat suit as Kiray reached out through the Force, seeing what they were up against.

"Mainly Trandoshans," she muttered when she surfaced from her brief meditative stance, "and a couple of Weequay. I can't tell who they are, or why they're here."

"What about that Toydarian who hustled us for credits when we first landed?" Atton asked, scratching his head with the muzzle of his blaster pistol. Kiray shook her head and replied, "Dead. I found the body near the Sullustan's shop." Atton grimaced and lowered his gun. The handmaiden frowned and tightened her grip on the small staff she had been carrying since Telos. Kiray quickly tossed her a double-bladed sword, and the handmaiden dropped it instantly, kicking it back to Kiray in disgust.

After a short quarrel between the two (at the end of which the sword was tossed over the edge of the walkway, leaving Kiray nothing else to hand to the handmaiden other than blasters), the trio carefully made the turn, to be greeted by two Trandoshans.

"_So you are the interloperssss," _one of the lizard-beings said, hissing at the end, "_Caamahkt wishes us to inform you that your ship is now the property of the Red Eclipsssse, and if you attempt to take it back, it will have to be by force!_"

Kiray had barely heard of the Red Eclipse, only knowing that they were a group that included Trandoshans and Weequay, but the name got the handmaiden to blanch and Atton to aim a shot directly at the messenger's head. Once that one fell, Kiray and the handmaiden launched themselves at the other one, who growled and tried to beat them back with a Trandoshan double-blade, but the lightsaber cut through the thick metal and the quarterstaff bashed it out of the way before Kiray plunged the cyan energy blade into the creature's gut.

"I guess you two have heard of the Red Eclipse," Kiray said while looting the bodies, finding many credits. The handmaiden's thin lips curved into a scowl and replied, "They are the worst beings in the galaxy, dealing in lives and credits."

"She means slavers," Atton added, causing Kiray to raise an eyebrow before they furrowed in thought. Before leaving home, slaves had been a widely accepted part of life, but Kiray had been one of the few who believed that they should not keep slaves, seeing as they were people too.

"Well, slavers have no good mark in my book," Kiray said smoothly, standing and brushing some flecks of blood from her robe. Atton grinned when Kiray gestured him over, and, with a watching handmaiden, Kiray quickly taught him a power he was bound to need during the fight to reclaim the _Hawk_. Then the three readied their weapons and, quite literally, charged and slaughtered no more than twelve Red Eclipse slavers on the path to the _Ebon Hawk_. Kiray's lightsaber rended several from head to foot, strewing half-bodies in her wake; the fierce handmaiden was able to crack skulls and break necks with her stout staff; and Atton ran after them, shooting ahead, scoring head shots and glancing hits along their hands, weakening them when Kiray or the handmaiden came for them.

There was nothing to recover from the crushed bodies, but the three of them did not rush aboard like they had on the platform; instead, Atton crept aboard under a stealth belt, carefully lessening the enemy forces without anyone suspecting. When others began to get suspicious, Atton called in Kiray and the handmaiden to clean up.

"Where's your leader?" Kiray growled to the final one in the main hold, a Weequay that was pinned to the floor by Kiray's boot at the throat. He fought to breathe, but Kiray's hold was firm, and the tip of her lightsaber was reaching his throat. "I said, where's your leader?"

"Caamahkt...he's in...com room!" he coughed, pointing in the direction of the cockpit. Kiray straightened, and, without warning, the Weequay jumped up and grabbed Kiray in a chokehold, a blaster to her head.

"Kiray, no!" Atton shouted, but he was held back by the handmaiden and Kiray's calm shake of her head. She gave her hand a short twitch, and nodded to Atton, who muttered, "Forgive me." Kiray gave him a wink, and the handmaiden let him go.

"Oh, I'm scared now!" the Weequay laughed in a grating Basic as Atton holstered his blasters, "I'll get your little girlfriend first, and then I'll get you and her." He nodded towards the handmaiden, who scoffed loudly at the suggestion. Atton slowly extended his hand to Kiray, and screwed his face up in concentration. Kiray watched, hoping against all hopes that he would do it.

Atton's eyes opened, a huge grin touched his face, and with tremendous speed, he ran at the Weequay behind Kiray and punched him hard. A stray blaster bolt rang from the slaver's blaster, but Atton stopped it with a wave of his hand, directing it smartly to the Weequay's chest. The alien howled and fell, releasing Kiray. The Mandalorian Jedi summoned her fallen lightsaber to her hand and stabbed the active blade into the Weequay's gut. The body shuddered and was still, and Kiray smiled at her apprentice.

"Good job, Atton," Kiray commended, and Atton threw out his chest proudly. "Eh, it was nothing."

The handmaiden shook her head and began stalking towards the cockpit, with Kiray and Atton close behind. Kiray stopped them to pass out melee shields and activate them, and then they turned to face an ugly Trandoshan with ropes of drool rolling from his jowls. Kiray's lip curled in disgust as Caamahkt spoke:

"_You have come to reclaim your property, I sssssee. I am afraid that unless you defeat me, you will not leave here alive."_

"Oh, really?" Kiray remarked, "But what if I just heard that you were taking my young friend's ship –" She gestured to the handmaiden, who put a small pout on her determined face, " - and she asked me for help?"

"_Then none of you will speak if you live,"_ Caamahkt answered, drawing a double-blade. Kiray held her lightsaber ready, but did not switch it on. The leader of the Red Eclipse chuckled ominously before leaping at her. Kiray didn't flinch as the lizard grew closer, but when he was less than a few inches away, Kiray took one step forward and thrust her knee into his crotch.

The Trandoshan groaned and collapsed, and his entourage leaped at the small party, but with a flick of the wrist, Kiray stopped them and continued her attacks on Caamahkt. The alien inched away after a series of wind-blowing kicks to the head and chest left him bloody, but Kiray followed, planting her foot onto his face at one point, crushing his snout. Everyone around them gasped at the spurts of blood and the pitiful wail of Caamahkt. Kiray dug her foot in deeper, causing the broken head to bleed even more, for no apparent reason.

"C'mon, Kir," Atton said calmly, taking Kiray's arm gently, "he's dead, the _Hawk_'s ours again..."

"No." She wrenched her arm from Atton's grip, and more blood gushed out, along with the Trandoshan's eyes and some brain matter.

"Why not?"

"I haven't made my point."

"Which is?"

Kiray stopped crushing the skull, realizing that what she was doing was pointless. Why was there a point to be made? Why was she destroying this body, if she'd already won? Is this why the Council had exiled her? Because of an insatiable bloodlust and a need to cause even more pain once it was wrought? Kiray slowly looked up to see Caamahkt's entourage staring at her in awe and fear, and she realized that this was indeed what the Council saw. She turned her back and ran towards the dormitory Kreia had temporarily resided in, throwing herself onto a bed in tears. _What is wrong with me?_

_Absolutely nothing_, a voice replied. Kiray shot up, looking around for the speaker. There was no one behind her, or over her.

_I am right here, exile._

Now, in Kiray's book, there was only one person who could constantly call her "exile" and not get either a Look or a hit somewhere along the body.

_Kreia._

_Hello, apprentice. I see that you have not changed in my absence._ Kiray rolled her eyes and buried her face in a pillow. _Go away._

_No. You still have much to learn, and no one here can teach it, except me._

_Oh yeah? And what can a dead crone teach me?_

_Many things, Kiray. Many things._ Kiray shoved Kreia's voice out of her mind and cried herself to a fitful rest.

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Kiray was bold enough a few hours later to leave the _Hawk_ alone, speaking to no one and avoiding contact with any of her friends.

_I do not consider those who travel with you friends,_ Kreia remarked, only to be silenced by Kiray as she descended the ramp. _I have already failed them once, and I cannot fail them again. Not through blood._

_But it is the only path you are familiar with._

_Oh, shut up!_ Kreia receded, and Kiray was finally at peace.

She had only just reached the bottom of the ramp when Atton appeared behind her, saying, "The droid's picked up a message. We should probably call everyone out here."

"You do that," Kiray said softly, avoiding his concerned gaze and staring out to the dark skyline. Atton gave her one last look before running up the ramp and shouting for everyone to come down.

"I hope this isn't one of your stupid pazaak tricks shows," Kahned growled, "I can see through every single one!"

"Then you cheat!" Atton shot back. Kiray stepped forward and separated the two men and turned to T3.

"Play the message before anyone else gets on edge," Kiray said, and T3 twittered in understanding, activating the message. A Quarren appeared, who looked remarkably similar to Slusk on Telos, and began speaking:

"_Greetings, Jedi. I would have hoped that we would meet in person, but as the current situation is, I cannot allow that. I am Visquis, one of the Exchange's prime leaders. Your acts here upon the Smuggler's Moon are impressive, and I believe we can negotiate an understanding. Please, come meet me at the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, appropriately attired for your kind, and we shall talk. Oh, and come alone."_ Visquis's form vanished, and Atton instantly burst out, "Well, at least we know it isn't a trap!" Kiray rolled her eyes at the sarcasm.

"So, what's the thing with the Jekk'Jekk Tarr? I don't believe I've heard of it," Kiray asked, looking around the group. It was Atton who answered, "It's an alien bar. No humans are usually allowed, but when they are, they usually don't come out, unless they have an enviro-suit."

"Why would one visiting this bar require exterior protection?" Visas asked, and Atton replied with one phrase: "Cyanogen gas."

"Ah, attacks through both the skin and the lungs, if I remember right," Bao-Dur said calmly. Kahned gritted his teeth and muttered, "And honorless way to die."

"I agree," the handmaiden broke in, and Kahned's eyes remained attached to her as she continued, "Do you have exterior protection?"

"We still have that space suit from Peragus," Kiray said, "That should do the trick."

"I don't think you should go alone," Kahned added, but with a gleam in his eye that only meant trouble. Kiray groaned as he gestured up the ramp, and something began marching down with a _chink, chink, chink_. A pair of red legs appeared, followed by a silver-stained torso and scraped head, and waiting in its hands was a very nasty-looking rifle.

"Eager Statement: Master, I am ready to follow you into this alien-filled hole and blast as many meatbags as possible!" the assassin droid crowed, coming to Kiray's side. Her eyes raced up and down, analyzing it, and asked, "Don't tell me that he's supposed to protect me from these Exchange thugs?"

"Consoling Statement: Master, of course I am to protect you! Why else would I be well-repaired by this Mandalorian and the Iridonian?" the droid replied with an unrealized enthusiasm that Kiray knew was uncommon in droids, even assassin models. She gulped and said, "Right, well, can I at least have your operating number so I don't have to call you droid?"

"Recitation: I am HK-47, and a loose component in my vocabulator allows me to say directly that I am a fully functional assassin droid."

"Okaaaay," Kiray said, nodding a silent "please don't ever give me an assassin droid as a present ever again" to Bao-Dur and Kahned, and everyone else except Kiray and HK-47 filed back into the ship.

"_Haar'chak,_" Kiray grumbled, and with an exclamation of, "Surprised Declaration: Master, I did not know you could speak Mando'a!" from HK, Kiray shuffled towards the docks, HK talking constantly and annoyingly as he followed.

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**A/N**: HK! Ha, HA! I love him, he's funny, and then we get to get more out of him because Kiray's Mando! YAAAAAAAH!


	20. End of the Truce

CHAPTER XIX: End of the Truce

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Kiray tried to put as much distance between herself and HK-47, but no such luck; the assassin droid kept up with her, talking annoyingly as they approached the walkway to the docks. Her senses prickled, and she spun around just as HK accidentally walked into her.

"Get away from me!" she growled, shoving HK out of her line of sight to reveal Atton running after her.

"Hey!" he panted when he caught up with her, "I figured you might need these." Atton placed a set of antidote kits in her hands, and Kiray chuckled almost inaudibly.

"What? What's so funny?"

"You!" Kiray answered, "_Mando'ade_ have never been fond of healing things, even though I can heal through the Force. But yeah, if the suit breaches, I need to apply one fast."

"Sarcastic Encouragement: Don't worry, master," HK began, "I won't leave you in a crime syndicate hole to be slowly eaten away by toxic gases!" Kiray rolled her eyes at the droid and had to restrain herself from slicing the droid's head off.

"Thanks anyway, Atton," Kiray finished. Atton beamed and held up his comlink. "Just remember to call if you get in trouble," he stated, "And I know just the place to keep an eye on you." He jogged off towards the Entertainment Promenade, and Kiray couldn't restrain a sigh as Atton left.

"Eager Query: Does that mean that you wish you had ordered me to shoot him faster?"

"No, HK. And I don't want you to talk to me anymore until I talk to you, is that clear?" Kiray waved her lightsaber just below his photoreceptors to make a point, and the assassin droid nodded. Kiray smiled at the droid for the first time. "Well, good! Now let's get moving."

They quickly crossed from the refugee sector's main plaza to the docks, and just as they were about to make their way to the Jekk'Jekk Tarr to meet up with Visquis, a voice spoke from the shadows, "So, you're the Jedi everyone's talkin' about. I figured you'd be keeping a low profile, but here you are on the Exchange's doorstep, sticking your lightsaber into everyone's business."

Kiray swung around and saw a redhead standing close by. She wore a racy leather outfit, and mounted on her right forearm was a dart/grenade launcher that Kiray knew was used in an experimental legion that used such devices. _How could a bounty hunter like this one have gotten her hands on one?_

"And just who might you be?" Kiray asked, her grip instinctively tightening around her lightsaber. The huntress extended the launcher armed hand and replied, "Name's Mira. Now, just a little something you should know: if _I_ know something's about to go down, it's a damn good assumption that everyone else on this moon knows too."

"So what do we do about it?" Kiray asked, taking Mira's hand and shaking it. The hunter shrugged and replied, "Well, under the bounty hunter truce, you're under my protection until I see fit to collect on the bounty. And, as long as you're with me, we can figure out a way to get the bounty off of your head."

"All right, but I don't like sitting out on big happenings," Kiray mumbled, crossing her arms. Mira shrugged a shoulder and replied, "Well, I think your friends are about to be in more trouble than you're going to be."

Kiray raised her eyebrows in surprise. _Yeah, right._

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"Now _this_ seems like my kind of place!" Atton commented as he settled at the bar, "Just need a couple of drinks to keep alert, a few games of pazaak to keep my senses sharp..." He turned to the bartender, saying, "A hit of juma. Keep 'em coming."

The barkeep just smiled as he readied the drink, and he passed it to Atton when it was ready. He took it with a nod to the bartender, and was about to take a sip when one of his "bad feelings" eased in. After silently laying his blasters onto the bar, he turned around to see two Twi'leki women staring at him. One was a midnight blue with gold highlights, the other was white with red. Atton feigned a smile as the feeling intensified, and he said, "Well, looks like this was the right place to come after all!"

It was a few drinks later that they started talking.

"So, uh, a pair of girls like you are just out here all on your own?" Atton breached. The blue Twi'lek chuckled softly.

"_We had a master once," _she replied, "_unfortunately, he was made deceased."_

"Ah," Atton winced, taking another sip of juma. The bad feeling still hadn't abated, and it even grew as the red one added, "_Now we do whatever we wish. Even to hunt a beautiful Jedi."_

Atton shot straight like a rod. Now he knew that these two were bounty hunters, and when he looked to face them this time, their smiles appeared more predatory.

Blue spoke again, "_However, Goto says that the Jedi is off-limits, but he said nothing of her companions."_

"Oh, yeah?" Atton challenged, "Why don't you schuttas try it?" He forgot all about his pistols, and drew out a pair of weapons Bao-Dur had helped him build after the reclaiming of the _Hawk_: a green-bladed and blue-bladed lightsaber. The Twi'leks blinked in surprise before turning to each other.

_"It has been so long since we have killed!"_ Red exulted. Blue nodded and replied, _"We must teach this one a lesson he will never forget!" _ Atton watched as the bounty hunters known as the Twin Suns somersault backwards, each drawing a pair of Twi'lek spinning blades and activating energy shields. He looked down at his pitiful appearance, only half-glad that he was wearing a thick, heavy armor, but it didn't sooth the single thought he had gotten:

_Oh frack._

Meanwhile, in a shadowy corner of the cantina, another Twi'lek watched the happenings. Her dark eyes narrowed as the Twin Suns revealed themselves, and the man who was their intended target drew out a pair of lightsabers. It had startled her after five years of _not_ seeing a lightsaber, and the man tried to fend off the Suns, earning more scratches than inflicting them.

The Twi'lek flicked one of her turquoise and black _lekku_ around her neck before drawing out a master controller. She knew that she had to help this Jedi; there were too few left in the galaxy.

_It's what she would've wanted me to do,_ the Twi'lek thought as she readied the controller and drew out a pair of heavy blasters. She cleared her throat after flicking the switch, and, knowing that she couldn't waste a spare second, instantly shouted, "Hey, Jedi! You're about to get bombs in your face if you don't move!"

Atton's head snapped up at the shout, as did the Suns, who turned to the corner where the voice had come from. There was a sudden, near-silent rumble, and two panels in the floor depressed and slid away, allowing a pair of rocket-launching turrets to rise and aim at the Suns.

"Move out of the frackin' way, Jedi!" The Twi'lek in the corner yelled again, and Atton rapidly moved under a table just as the turrets opened fire. The twin Twi'leks shrieked and fell under the rapid onslaught of the turrets' rockets. Atton emerged from the table just as his mysterious aid walked towards the bodies, nudging them with the toe of her boot.

The Twi'lek was colored a bright turquoise with black stripes along her head-tails. Her face was not as delicately lined a other Twi'lek females he'd met; in fact, Atton could pick out one or two blaster wounds from the way she walked and held her blasters. She nodded in slight satisfaction and holstered the weapons as Atton sidled up next to her.

"Thanks for the help, kid," he thanked her, "That would've been one nasty situation for me if you hadn't pulled out those turrets."

"It was nothing," she answered, carefully guiding her turrets back into their slots, "Just that an old friend of mine would've wanted me to help you out, since she herself was a Jedi and all."

"Still, you saved my neck," Atton pressed, laying his hand on the Twi'lek's armored shoulder, "You got a name, kid?"

"My name's Mission," the nineteen-year-old replied as they walked out of the bar, "Mission Vao."

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"It's not exactly first-class accommodations," Mira said, gesturing around the tiny room in the Flophouse on the docks, "but it's one of my best safehouses."

"Must be the smell, keeping all the intruders away," Kiray commented lightly. HK's head was snapping around rapidly, and, if he had been human, he might've been biting his lip in worry. Mira smiled sheepishly and replied, "Yeah, you just might be right."

"True Worried Statement: Master, something is not right in the air quality of this chamber..." HK groaned. Kiray snapped her head around to face the assassin droid, but instead of a look to shut him up, she gave him a smile and a knowing wink. HK suddenly felt the pleasure of having a clever master and returned the wink, blinking one of his photoreceptors on and off.

"Ah, it might just be all the fuel fumes," Mira waved off. Kiray nodded and added, "I only just got this droid from my brother, and everything seems to be loose or not fully installed." HK quivered at the offense, but said nothing. Mira nodded in understanding.

"So, what's the plan? Are we just going to saunter into the Jekk'Jekk Tarr or what?" Mira gave the Mandalorian a sneaky grin.

"Well, that smell you've been noticing since you came in?" She paused, checking her chronometer before continuing, "It's probably running through your system right now. It'll be causing you to be dizzy, dry-mouthed, and eventually falling unconscious." Mira glanced up from her chronometer, and, much to her amazement, saw Kiray still standing.

The Jedi lightly touched her nose and finished, "Unless I have olfactory purifiers that've filtered out your knockout gas." Mira bit her lip and muttered, "Okay, scratch plan A. What were you planning?"

"This," Kiray replied with a grin and drawing out a solid-looking _third_ set of Mandalorian armor, complete with a helmet. "You'll wear the space suit and pose as me, while I wear the Mandalorian vacuum suit. HK is fine as is."

"Weary Affirmation: Obviously, master, with my being a droid." Kiray did shoot HK a withering look before turning back to Mira, who was looking thoughtful.

"Or, how about this: I take the enviro-suit and pose as you. You wait here, and if I don't come back within an hour, you come in, with the droid and the vacuum suit."

"I say you take the droid," Kiray put in quickly, glancing at HK and adding, "Not that I don't like you or anything..."

"Cheerful Agreement: Of course I will go with the bounty huntress, master!" HK replied rather cheerfully, "The sooner I get into wanton bloodshed, the sooner I will be much happier." Mira groaned before shrugging.

"Good. So here; you're going to need this," Kiray said, handing Mira the space suit. "And _you_," she added, turning to HK, "are not to leave her side at any given time, even if she's discovered as not being me, you stay with her. I can look after myself." The assassin droid perked up and gave her a jaunty salute. Mira gave her a nod as she gathered up the suit, and Kiray sat down to meditate.

"Oh, yeah," Mira quickly interjected before she left, "There's a pair of Jedi Masters that've been coming to talk to me, saying that another Jedi might appear to find them. They might stop by to see you."

"Noted. Now get moving, or I'm never going to get this bounty off my head!"

"All right, don't get your shorts in a twist!" Mira grumbled, "Jeez, you're worst than Zez-Kai on a good day."

_Zez-Kai?!_ Kiray thought happily as Mira and HK left, _so who's the other Master? I hope it's Kavar..._

Still smiling to herself, Kiray sank into the calm bliss of meditation, until...

_You know that you cannot trust a bounty hunter like her._ Kiray frowned at Kreia's sudden intrusion, but smiled again when she got an idea. Carefully, without Kreia's little voice noticing, Kiray located the spirit's anchors in her mind and began to dig them out. Carefully holding the strands, Kiray readied her final words to Kreia.

_Listen, you witch, the worst mistake I made was that I wasn't able to kill you personally. But then you had to come back and make my life miserable after a week or so from your death on Telos. Well, you know what? I don't need you to teach me. I can teach myself, I can teach others. I'm about to find two Masters in one fell swoop, and maybe one can stick around until the full convocation on Dantooine._

_What? You cannot be serious! _Kreia started shouting, _You can't let me go, we are linked!_

_Oh yeah? I think it's time for you to pass on._ With a wicked grin, Kiray mentally released the now-broken strands of Kreia's ethereal presence. _Bye-bye, now, don't keep in touch!_ Kreia fought to stay connected, but Kiray had already erected shields to prevent her from doing so and waved good-bye.

Kiray sighed in relief and opened her eyes. She soon got the shock of her life. Standing before her were the two Jedi Masters; one was Zez-Kai Ell, nothing about him changed one bit since the day of her exile. The other had gray-streaked black hair, and her face appeared tired from ordeals that Kiray could barely imagine, and yet they both smiled just the same.

"So, Kiray Fett, you return to us," Zez-Kai intoned as Kiray shuffled to her feet and clumsily bowed. Lonna Vash broke decorum and hugged her former student, although Kavar had taught Kiray more often.

"It is so good to see you after all these years, Kiray!" Lonna cried, never releasing the embrace. Kiray thankfully returned the hug and whispered, "It's nice to see you too, Master Vash. You as well, Master Ell."

"Please, Lonna and Zez-Kai will suffice," Zez-Kai Ell replied as the two women separated, "but now is not the time to go over old times, there is the now to consider."

"Yes, you're right," Kiray agreed, "It was probably a bad thing to send Mira off without a heck of a lot of protection-"

"That's fine," Lonna reassured her, "But this Jedi bounty could cause problems, particularly if we need to leave Nar Shaddaa, and quickly."

"So what do you want me to do?"

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Atton quickly led Mission back to the _Hawk_ after comming Bao-Dur about what had happened in the cantina. Everyone was waiting outside the ship as they appeared on the platform. Mission squealed in delight for two reasons: one, she had been on the _Ebon Hawk_ once before, and she loved the stubborn ship; two, she recognized T3-M4.

"T3! It's so good to see you again!" she cried as she bent down to hug the little utility droid. T3 screeched uncomfortably, but soon enjoyed the hug all the same.

"Okay...can you say _awkward_?" Kahned commented with narrow eyes at Mission's display. The Twi'leki kid shot up and stated, "And who do you think you are? I saved your Jedi friend's sorry butt back in that cantina, and if I hadn't shown up, you might've been stuck here for a long time."

Kahned stepped back in shock at the veracity of Mission's verbal attack, particularly with a burgundy-gloved hand rapping at his armor, and it took the handmaiden's calming voice say, "We have not even been introduced to you yet. Please, just relax, and we can get the full story."

"Well, we don't have time for the full story," Atton growled, waving one of his lightsabers, "A pair of bounty hunters attacked me, and that means the hunter truce is off. And that means we might be followed at any second-"

"_Or perhaps even sooner than you think!"_ a voice called from the opposite end of the platform. Everyone turned to see about nine Duros making their way towards them, lead by a black-clad and black-eyed Duros.

_"So you are the friends of the newly-arrived Jedi, no?"_ the leader asked, holding a disruptor rifle in his hands. _"With the attack of the Twin Suns, the agreement on this moon is voided. So, who will die first?"_

"And just who might you be?" Visas breathed. The Duros frowned and growled, _"You do not know Anzanti Zhug, leader of Zhug family? We are great clan of hunters, too great for ones such as you."_

"Which ones do you guys want?" Atton asked Kahned and Bao-Dur. Kiray's brother simply smiled and said, "I'll take any that haven't already spoken."

"And I'll take the stupid one," Bao-Dur offered, "who thinks he can trap us friends of the general so easily." Atton smiled before turning to the others and calling, "Is he gonna take us alive?"

"Hell no!" Mission yelled, followed by a similar twitter from T3. Visas and the handmaiden glanced at each other and smiled in a very similar way before nodding to Atton, who looked back at Anzanti Zhug and cracked his neck.

"This is gonna be fun."


	21. Goto and the Exchange

CHAPTER XX: Goto and the Exchange

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_Meanwhile..._

Mira was not happy that she'd been stuck with the Jedi's droid. Sure, at least part of her original plan was working, but she hadn't counted on Kiray's olfactory purifiers and HK-47. She struggled to hold the suit as she shuffled towards the Jekk'Jekk Tarr, amazed that there was no one standing guard over the doors.

_They must've decided to leave them if a Jedi was comin' this way,_ Mira figured as she struggled into the suit. In an oddly gentleman-like manner, HK held the suit up so she could get in easily.

"Now, remember, you are going to keep that vocabulator of yours off, and if Visquis gets me, you do nothing, all right?" Mira warned before she placed the bulky suit's helmet on her head, HK seemed to chuckle as he replied, "Unconcerned Reply: And yet my master told me to protect you at all costs. I assume that order is voided as per what you say, hunter meatbag?"

"You could say that," Mira muttered, and she quickly put on the helmet and walked into the alien bar, with HK following and the door closing behind them.

(CUTSCENE...)

_Visquis checked the cams again, Hanharr peering over his shoulder. The Quarren crime boss performed an approximation of a smile as he caught sight of the enviro-suited person, but his good mood was terminated by the sight of an assassin droid._

_Didn't you tell the Jeedai to come alone? Hanharr growled. Visquis waved a hand in front of the hateful hunter and replied, "_The Jeedai must have her reasons, reasons that we will discover soon enough."_ He turned to one of the guards in the chamber and ordered, _"Inform the clients that they are not to harm the Jedi as she comes here. We do not want her harmed before we have had our say with her."_ The guard bowed before rushing out of the crime boss's presence._

_When will I get paid? Hanharr rumbled, I have lured the Jedi into your little trap, and I expect my reward._

_"_Patience, my friend,"_ the Quarren soothed the beast, _"Soon you will be paid, and soon, the Jeedai will not be among us."

(End of CUTSCENE)

Mira was on edge as she opened the door and walked into the bar, with HK staying close and rifle at the ready. It was deathly silent inside, despite the many Twi'leks she could see through the mists of cyanogen. A few even shot her pitiful looks, and some with an avarice that just couldn't be measured.

_That Jedi must have a very pretty credit on her head,_ Mira wondered as she passed the next few chambers, green-lit and crawling with Gand, _She might have a hard time coming through if all goes to plan._

HK swept the area with his sensors every few seconds, ignoring all the looks he earned as well, and continued creeping along after Mira. One question kept scrolling through his cognitive module, however: _Why was I left behind? Why am I, so sophisticated as my master made me, left to rust while my master vanishes?_ He still could not lose the musing he unknowingly created, even when they emerged into a final room, this time a blood-red color cast by the neon lighting.

Mira frowned behind the helmet as she not only caught sight of Visquis but also Hanharr. The crazed monster consistently attacked her across the moon, pressing her to collect on something called a life-debt. Sure, she'd spared him once, but that didn't mean that she wanted a furry, three-meter _thing_ following her at every waking moment. She shuffled forward, and Visquis spread his arms wide.

_"So you have come! And quickly too, I might add,"_ he began before fixing a look at HK-47. "_However, I requested that you come alone. But no matter, no matter. The air here is sufficient for you to breathe, I think, so you may remove that suit."_

Mira quickly glanced over at HK, who quickly said, "Analytical Agreement: Yes, _master_, the air quality here is stable for a human meatbag to comfortably respirate." Mira gave him a small nod and, drawing a small knife, cut through the restrictive suit and threw off the helmet. Visquis saw her face without any visible surprise, but the stiff tentacles ringing his mouth were a sure sign that he was indeed taken aback. Hanharr roared furiously in his strange tongue, YOU!

"Yeah, me. Got a problem with that, furball?" Mira spat, eyes dangerously narrow before she turned to Visquis.

"_Where is she?" _he shouted, "_Where is the Jedi?"_

"First off, you're got going to find her. She's under _my_ protection, and that means I won't talk," Mira answered coldly, "Second, I was just wondering why you want to claim the Jedi for yourself and stab Goto in the back."

_"Those, I am sorry to say,_" Visquis stated with out even sounding sorry, _"are questions that will have to wait until a better time."_

"Eager Query: Can I shoot the unwitting crime boss now, huntress meatbag?" HK asked excitedly, leveling the rifle at Visquis, who stepped back and caused Hanharr to step in front of him, the swords in his hands ready to cut HK down. Mira readied her own pistols and said, "Just don't miss."

"_You grossly overestimate your chances, Mira,"_ Visquis chuckled, his hands on a control panel. HK powered up his rifle to deliver a powerful blast to Hanharr's chest while Mira hurried to stop him, and Visquis activated the trap. Electricity arched out from hidden circuit breakers, hitting Mira and HK hard and forcing them into unconsciousness, but not before HK fired the powerful bolt through Hanharr's legs, scoring a hit on Visquis's left foot. Mira knew that if the droid had been human, he would've been smiling from ear to ear.

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Kiray shot up like a bolt when she felt Mira pass out. Zez-Kai and Lonna had vanished after setting their plan, leaving Kiray alone in Mira's safehouse. Of course, until this new development. _I guess that's my signal to go into the Jekk'Jekk Tarr,_ Kiray thought as she quickly outfitted herself with the dark vacuum suit and its near-infinite air supply when it was in atmosphere, firmly clipping her lightsaber to her belt and tucking the helmet under her arm. With a deep breath, she marched forward, and did not look back.

When she reached the entrance to the alien bar, Kiray could sense a fair bit of hostility coming from within, and very quickly, she placed the helmet on her head. The HUD came to life, and her lightsaber was already in hand as Kiray crossed the threshold.

The vacuum suit worked like a charm, funneling out the poisonous cyanogen gas and giving her clean, if not rather flat-scented, oxygen to breathe. Kiray activated her blades and opened the door before her. The red-lit room was filled with bounty hunters and Exchange thugs alike, and the ironic thing was, they were all staring at her in awe, apparently not noticing her lightsaber.

(CUTSCENE. Yes, I know, again...)

_What is a Mandalorian doing here?! Hanharr growled, I thought they were all driven to extinction!_

"This one certainly is bold," _Visquis murmured, _"We may not get a Jedi today, Hanharr, but we may gain a new ally. Let us wait and see what he does."

(End CUTSCENE)

Kiray quickly understood what was going on, and she silently deactivated her lightsaber and began strolling through the bar, not meeting anyone's gaze and following Mira's trail through the Force. None of the Twi'lek bounty hunters or Gand findsmen attacked her, and, if anything, avoided her. One Rodian stared at her before she passed through the door to the private lounge, and she growled, _"Copaani mirshmure'cye?" _ The Rodian instantly shook his head and backed away, allowing her to pass without another word.

_"Welcome, friend!"_ Visquis greeted kindly as Kiray sauntered in, maintaining an air of superiority as Visquis attempted to flatter her. _"No one here was expecting that any of your kind remained, and yet you are here, proving that the Mandalorians are still alive!"_

"All I want to know," Kiray growled, doing her best to sound like her father and succeeding admirably, "is where my friend is. I sent her ahead of me, to deliver a message."

_"Do you mean to say that the bounty huntress Mira is in fact a friend of yours?"_ Visquis asked in alarm, _"We were not aware she had made such an alliance!"_

"Yeah, yeah," Kiray grumbled impatiently, "All I want to know is whether she gave you my message or not."

_"And what message might that have been?"_

"That the Jedi is coming for you, Visquis," Kiray whispered ominously, "and that when she comes for you, you may not even know it." The Quarren laughed, and for once, Kiray did not restrain her anger as she drew her lightsaber and stabbed Visquis herself. The crime boss's eyes went wide as he stared at her before filming over in death. Kiray tore off her helmet and growled, "And that was for putting a bounty on my head." She turned and noticed Hanharr, shuffling back so as not to face Kiray's obvious rage, and she jumped at him, shoving the seven-foot creature into the wall and placing her lightsaber at his throat.

"Where is Mira?" she hissed, pressing the blade close. Hanharr clammed up, and Kiray's eye narrowed dangerously.

"_You will tell me where she is,_" she hissed, performing the trick easily. Hanharr still did not speak, but his arm rose without his own volition, and the tall brute fought to keep the arm down, but failing miserably as he pointed to the back door. Kiray smiled at him and said, "What is it that you would wish of me, if you could?"

To die, Hanharr rumbled, Mira refuses to honor her debt, but I will not stand for having two. Kill me well and honorably, Jedi. Kiray nodded and stepped away, then turned on her heel and stabbed just above his heart, but close enough to make him groan with pain before fainting. Kiray turned from the near-dead Wookiee and passed through Visquis's typical scum-lord bolthole.

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The first thing Kiray heard when she entered the tunnels was a burst of static from her personal datapad. Startled, she wrenched it out and saw that the map screen was nothing more than a swirl of gray, and a few choice curse words escaped from her mouth. She drew her comlink and tried Atton.

No response. She tried Mira, and she heard a crackle and the roar of blasterfire. Kiray held it close to her mouth and half-shouted, "Mira! Come in!"

"I'm here, Kiray!" Mira answered, speaking loudly and clearly, "HK and I got dragged down into some kind of underground HQ. It's downright crawling with Ubese, but we've taken care of most of them."

"All right, well when you're done playing around, I need a route to where you are, and you two need to get to Atton and tell him what's going on."

"Affirmative! Just finished with this batch, accessing terminal..." There was a short pause broken by a few taps on a keyboard before Mira called back, "Got it! All right, go forward to the next intersect, turn left and go straight as far as you can go. We'll go see your boyfriend."

"Atton is not my boyfriend!" Kiray shot back, but was only replied with a chuckle from Mira before the link closed. Kiray sighed and replaced the helmet, in case of gas traps, and followed Mira's directions until she came across a firmly locked door. No matter what security trick she tried, the door refused to open, and Kiray was ready to melt the lock when it opened.

Kiray marched forward and activated her lightsaber in case of a surprise attack from any Ubese that Mira had mentioned; but there was no one. Kiray wandered around the facility until she found another door, near which was a short note on a scrap of flimsiplast:

_Kiray:_

_Droid and I off to find boyfriend. No Ubese left, but be careful; something doesn't feel right. See you later,_

_Mira_

Kiray crumpled up the note and continued exploring. Her senses kicked in, however, when she got close to a door that led to some kind of gladiator pit. Once again she drew her lightsaber, and she opened the door. Before her loomed about half a dozen Ubese clansmen, all flanking a floating, spherical droid. Kiray carefully walked forward, lightsaber still ready, and the droid projected the image of a short man who remarkably resembled Zez-Kai.

"Ah, so you are the Jedi. It appears that we have lured you out of hiding."

"Hiding?" Kiray asked in disbelief, "I only just _got _here, Goto."

Goto's image blinked in surprise, but quickly replied, "Then maybe my sources were wrong, which would be the first time they have failed me. Perhaps there is another Jedi here, somewhere."

Kiray laughed, "You're never gonna find him." Goto cocked an eyebrow. Kiray cleared her throat in the awkward silence and asked, "So, what do you want me for?"

"I believe we should continue this discussion in private," Goto growled officiously, and he activated one of Visquis's lightning traps. Kiray yelped at the shock, and felt herself overpowered by the high voltage.

Haar'chak,_ Atton, help me! _Kiray mentally yelled just as darkness claimed her.

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The creature was barely breathing, but still alive. He was full of hatred, of rage, and he would serve an excellent purpose. Kahned knelt down and laid his hand on Hanharr's forehead.

_My weak sister was a fool in letting you live,_ he thought as he healed the Wookiee's wounds, _but I can turn her mistake back on her._ With his task finished, Kahned breathed, "Awaken, _beast_."

Hanharr quavered as he awoke and stood, but when he saw Kahned, he groaned loudly, No, I cannot have another life-debt...why did you not let me die?

"Because my sister did not let you, but it is of no consequence," Kahned barked, "there is another to whom you owe: _me_. And I have a job for you."

Do you want me, Hanharr began, to hunt the Jeedai, and kill -

"Did I say anything about my sister?" Kahned growled, settling a mental hand on Hanharr's throat. The Wookiee coughed lightly as the hand tightened, and Kahned spoke, barely holding his anger in.

"No, I want you to hunt the huntress. Mira, I think her name is." Hanharr growled at the name, and Kahned smiled.

"Good, beast. Now, here is what you must do..."


	22. Formulating Plans

CHAPTER XXI: Formulating Plans

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"Listen, flyboy, your girlfriend's in trouble, and she's probably been dragged onto Goto's yacht by now," Mira growled, jabbing her finger into Atton's chest. Mission snuck in between them and shoved them apart, muttering, "All right, stop flirting, we need a plan."

"I think we know that we need to rescue Kiray," Atton said, turning to Mission and ignoring Mira, who had crossed her arms over her chest. "The question, though, is how?"

"Well, Goto isn't going to pick you up because you're Kiray's friend," Mira put in, thinking out loud, "but if you could get the ID codes of one of Vogga's freighters, he just might take us up."

"It sounds good to me!" Mission said, "As long as we actually get the ID code though, we'd be home free." Atton nodded before settling himself in the pilot's seat on board the _Hawk_ to think, and Mira and Mission went off together, kindred spirits in constantly annoying other people on the ship.

None of them realized, however, that the two mechanical crew members were already hatching their own plan that was guaranteed success; after all, as HK projected, their odds of success were greater than those of failure.

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At first, HK-47 and T3-M4's plan started without a hitch. The two droids shuffled forward before Vogga's head protocol unit, lead by a diminutive Snivvian. The droid's photoreceptors lit up brightly when he saw them, and turned his focus to the Snivvian.

"Ah, new arrivals! However, before I accept this prized gift to Vogga, I must asked how you came across these droids," he spoke in an oddly perky voice for a droid in the employ of a Hutt; it made HK feel sick.

_I am champ. I win them in pazaak match,_ their Snivvian leader said. Short and sweet, and perfect to get them in; usually prizes won in pazaak could be unreliable, but the champ's reputation was solid, and he never took shoddy merchandise.

"I see," the droid hummed, "Very well, you may let them in, and here are your credits."

_I do good? I get you into warehouse, yes?_ The champ asked ecstatically, staring into T3's main blue photoreceptor. The utility droid beeped and twittered its admiration as HK barely held back a snort. The Snivvian smiled and said, _I thank you, my friends. I hope your mission be successful!_ With that, the champ shuffled away, back to whatever lair he had near the pazaak den, leaving the two droids alone.

"Unenthusiastic statement: We might as well go report to whatever droid is in charge, or we might start a difficult battle in which we will have to defend ourselves," HK said, his voice getting excited as he just thought about the latter portion of his statement. T3 released a realistic snort that justified how low his trust was in the assassin before he rushed away, HK behind him and shouting, "Well-defined Threat: Oh, call me a bloodthirsty thrice-dismantled protocol unit, do you?! I'll show you just what my assassination protocols can do to you, you knee-high fusioncutter!"

HK chased T3 into the warehouse, much to Vogga's droid's dismay, and they stopped when they came across a very-depressed-looking droid handler.

According to C9-T8, his replacement, C9-T9, was an annoying pompous automaton, among other and less-tasteful things, causing HK to silently wonder why this controller couldn't have taken care of his replacement on his own. When the assassin brought this point up, T8 engaged in a debate on ethics, allowing T3 to sneak over to C9-T9 and quietly shocked him into a smoking pile of slag. The argument was about to escalate to blows while T3 scrambled to get a replacement ID for the _Ebon Hawk_, and it was only halted when three silver HK-50s appeared.

When they entered HK's sensor range, he was shocked to know that he had been copied, and he spun around and screamed, "Insulting Remark: So you are the copies of me! I must say, your stance is not so impressive as you may think!"

The lead HK-50 stamped right in front of HK-47 and growled, "Threatening Denouncement: And you are an old scrap heap that may not operate to the next day. Mocking Provocation: _We_ are the next generation, Forty-seven, and while _you_ may be the original, it is the line of Fifty that will endure."

T3 rolled up to his friend, as much as he disliked HK, and screeched angrily at the HK-50s while prepping his shock arm. Almost as if on cue, HK raised his own blaster rifle and jabbed it into the lead Fifty's chassis.

"Disgusted Query: And you deem yourselves worthy of the Hunter-Killer designation? I have had over thirty chances of shooting you and your compatriots, and in less than thirty seconds, I might add. Resolved Hypothetical: If I shoot you now, myself and my counterpart can and will escape. If I do not, then we will be blasted into little tiny bits. I will instate the former."

With that, HK pulled the trigger, discharging the bolt as it drilled through the HK-50's chassis and burying itself in the wall behind the other two. T3's shock arm burrowed through the armor plating on one, and a combination of both sent the third reeling.

"Rushed Suggestion: Perhaps we ought to leave before any more of these worthless replications of myself appear," HK said, already trotting towards the exit. T3 followed, hooting and bleeping after him.

"Objection: I did not attack them without due warning! I merely gave them the probabilities of success and simply fulfilled one condition to enact the other." T3 hissed indignantly, and as the two escaped from Vogga's storehouse with the protocol droid shouting after them, HK declared, "Uncertain yet Indignant Statement: You truly need to learn more about assassins, my dear T3. Thankfully I can provide you the best opportunity."

T3 groaned, clearly not looking forward to such a thing.

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"You _WHAT?!_" Atton yelled as the droids wheeled in. T3 twittered his explanation of what had happened, and before HK could give his telling of the story, Bao-Dur appeared at Atton's side.

"It may be through odd circumstances, but we do have the ID signature that will help us spring the General," the calm Iridonian pointed out. Atton sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Let's get this over to that Sullustan tech and go after Kiray."

The technician, Tienn Tubb, greeted them warmly and readily agreed to help them switch over the _Hawk_'s ID. It was up to Atton to choose who would go after Kiray aboard Goto's yacht, and Mira downright made herself a definite part of the team.

"After all, getting her caught was mostly my fault," she explained, "Unless she goes after Exchange crime bosses on a daily basis?"

"No, she doesn't," Atton sighed, and he reluctantly sent the others to Mira's safehouse to wait for them. With his regular precision and a strange sense of relief, Atton took the _Ebon Hawk_ off of its landing pad and escaped the moon's gravity well, displaying the ID signature of one of Vogga the Hutt's freighters. Of course, coinciding with Mira's direct to the minute prediction, Goto's yacht appeared and attached itself onto one of the _Hawk_'s boarding ramps.

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Kiray did not like Goto's yacht. The opulence and heavy guard might have once made her feel pretty special, but all it did now was made her feel oppressed and claustrophobic. But there was something strange going on, something that didn't quite ring true; although this was obviously Goto's personal yacht, Goto wasn't on it in person. He was still displayed to her in hologram format, and it irked her that there were no other living beings on board this ship.

But the second conversation they were having right now was interesting, and it raised some questions in her mind as it played out.

"So let me get this straight," Kiray began, "Revan attacked the Republic so as to _unify it_ against a greater threat than she and Malak posed?"

"Yes," Goto answered, "and that is why she left after defeating her old apprentice. There was a pattern, a formula to her attacks, that vanished after her capture by the Jedi and Malak's assumption of her title."

"And Revan left to confront it directly," Kiray said, glancing out of the windows as the pieces fell together, "out in the Unknown Regions."

"Indeed she did," Goto replied, "and we may never see her powerful presence again. Unless...someone went out to find her."

"Oh, and you think that's me? Sorry for saying this, Goto, but there's another Sith threat out here, and I can't go running off into the Unknown Regions to go looking for a supposedly-redeemed Sith Lord."

"Of course not, my Jedi friend," Goto breathed, "but when you aid me bring a steady balance to the galaxy, then maybe, just maybe, we can find Revan."

The thought rang like the clear peal of a funeral bell, a mourning and yet certain thing. Kiray knew that she would indeed need to follow Revan at some point...but she hadn't been ready when she followed Revan into her first war, and what would make her more prepared if she followed her again?

_Don't think about it,_ Kiray thought, _Thinking that sort of stuff means you think that there's a plan for you when there usually isn't. No fate than what we make, remember that._

Before she could tell Goto how unreasonable that sounded, despite her own worries, an alarm blared off and away somewhere. The noise piqued Kiray's interest, and she easily changed the subject.

"What's that siren? Is something wrong with your life-devoid ship?"

"It is nothing, most likely a drill," Goto waved off, and yet looking concerned. "But it would be best if you stayed here, I think."

"Right, and you'll just go check on your droid servants?" Goto simply vanished without a reply, leaving Kiray wonderfully yet mournfully alone with her thoughts.


	23. Rescue

**A/N:** All right, here's a little info alert: in 19 days, I want to at least hit 100 reviews. We're at eighty or so now; if I get about one review a day, we'll be golden!

Also, for all you philosophers reading, here's a hint at a little bit that I'll have later. But for now, enjoy!

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CHAPTER XXII: Rescue

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Once the _Ebon Hawk_ had docked, Mira and Atton had quickly crossed over onto the yacht, and, strangely, there was no welcoming party for them.

"You'd think they might at least have had one of those assassin droids lying in wait," Mira muttered, arms crossed as her pistols rested in her grip. Atton sighed and checked around the module they were in. To one side were a few storage containers and a broken down utility droid, and on the other was a security terminal of some sort. Mira busied herself with the droid as Atton checked out the terminal. By bypassing the password, as well as the "count", he only earned a limited access to the systems.

He couldn't do much, and even though Mira had found some kind of program in the droid, there was nothing to do with it apart from uploading it and reading the description.

It was called "shut down", and labeled as potentially dangerous. Atton laughed at that and cried, "_Potentially dangerous?_ What, does this guy have some kind of ultra-paranoia about this sort of thing?"

"Hey, how would _I_ know?" Mira retorted, "I don't deal with Goto on a day-to-day basis."

"My question didn't need an answer, you know."

"I know; I just wanted to put in my two-creds worth." Atton just shook his head before leaving the terminal and opening the door out of the docking module. Six floating mines sat easily on their pathway, and Atton froze. Mira glanced around him, and shrugged at the sight of the floating mines.

"Ah, we can take 'em. Just toss a couple of grenades and whatever Force powers you got against droids, and we shoot the rest of them." Mira's good mood vanished as the mines exploded rapidly, peppering them with shrapnel and several droids appeared, firing integrated blasters, and one droid commander striding directly for them.

"Take out the ones at back, I've got this one!" Atton shouted, holstering his blasters and drawing his lightsabers to battle against the droid commander. Mira fired away at the droids behind the two, but when none of them fell, she quietly dashed behind the melee combatants and found two maintenance droids fixing them.

_Well, that's going to have to change!_ Mira thought excitedly as she slid an ion grenade into her wrist launcher and fired it towards the nearest maintenance drone. It blew, taking two droids with it, and Mira quickly prepped a frag grenade to fire at the second drone.

Atton, meanwhile, struggled against the commander, staring into the empty, cold photoreceptors that betrayed no emotion, no weakness at all. His lightsabers should have cut through the chassis, but it must have been cortosis-reinforced; the blades merely sparked as it met the armor plating.

He could barely hear the blaster shots and explosions; all there was was him and the blasted droid commander. He twirled and battled against it, trying to find some weakness that he could use against it. And then he finally remembered that he had the Force.

Atton remembered how often Kiray could use lightning to take droids down in one go; why shouldn't this one be any different? He summoned the power, drawing it up into his hand, and envisioned the bolt of lighting stretching from his fingertips to the droid's main processor. Carefully, with some trepidation, he released the power.

The electrical discharge was huge as the lightning shot from his fingertips directly ripping through the droid's armor. It even arched through the commander and hit the rest of the droids that Mira was about to fire down with the frag grenade. The energy it had taken physically drained Atton, and as every droid sparked and fell, one uttering, "ZERO-ONE-ONE," he collapsed, too tired to stand, even breathe.

"Hey, nice shootin' Tex!" Mira called, glancing over to Atton. Her mouth physically dropped as she watched him collapse from his tremendous effort. Mira dropped her guns and dragged him to his feet.

"C'mon, big boy," Mira said, "c'mon, hang with me, now! We still gotta go rescue Kiray and disable this ship, you hear? I can't do it alone."

Atton didn't reply, causing Mira to curse in hopes that he would hear, but he didn't. Mira cursed again, dragging him back towards the _Hawk_. She had retrieved a datapad full of codes for the turrets; maybe that would help weaken resistance against freeing Kiray.

She propped Atton up on one of the cargo boxes and started messing with the terminal, entering the count and applying the shut down program. Alarms inside the computer whirred as a status report came up:

ALL TURRETS OPERATING ON MAXIMUM FIREPOWER. TARGETING FRIENDLIES AND ENEMIES.

"Well, what d'ya know, flyboy," Mira said to the still-unconscious Atton, "We've got the turrets on our side, and firing at max power at that, eh? Now we just need to enjoy the show. Anyone got some bang-corn and a popper?"

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Kiray was just about fed up with waiting. Waiting for Goto to come talk with her, waiting for someone to mount some kind of rescue attempt; she'd had it. Goto had still left her armed; maybe she could escape on her own.

_That's what I should do,_ Kiray thought, her hand tightening around her lightsaber as she marched for the door. She could hear blasterfire just beyond, and while her Jedi side screamed at her to wait, her Mandalorian side said to charge through and wreak havoc.

Oddly, Kiray looked down at her hand. It wasn't a solid tan anymore; rather, it was the color of an egg salad, and her veins were visible. She shuddered at the sight, knowing what this meant. _I can't indulge my blood anymore, not succumb to my instincts. They will lead me down a path that no one else can follow me on, a path that will lead to myself losing me. I cannot allow that. I must trust my training, and my friends._

Kiray tamped down her feelings and returned to the center of the chamber. Crossing her legs and fire in her blood, she closed her eyes and meditated, trying to strike a balance between her two halves.

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Dragging Atton around Goto's yacht wasn't exactly Mira's idea of an ideal rescue, but with the turrets firing at everyone, it just got easier by eliminating nearly all the droids, and it was easy for Mira to carefully use a lightsaber (although she wasn't trained to use one, but her reflexes were excellent) to slice away at any droids that got in her way. She had also gone into the opposite holding cells, uncovering two more programs to be used in the five-or-so systems.

"You really need to lay off whatever you eat, Atton," Mira grumbled as she backtracked towards what she hoped was where Kiray was being held. Using the Reset program to lower the efficiency of the turrets, she drew her blasters again and took care of them after opening the door and, still dragging Atton by the scruff of his armor, marched past the smoking turrets and opened the second door, revealing Kiray meditating.

"Hello, Mira," the Mandalorian Jedi said in a strange voice, "It must have been difficult for you to get here all on your own."

"Atton came along for the ride and expended everything in our first fight on this floating palace," Mira replied, laying Atton down next to Kiray, who did not turn. _What's gotten into her?_

"How futile it has been," Kiray whispered, still in that strange voice. Mira stood, hands on hips.

"All right, whoever you are, you sure aren't the Kiray Fett I met back on Nar Shaddaa," she began, "but I intend to find out what is happening to you." Kiray chuckled softly, but not out of amusement. Mira stomped up and grabbed Kiray's shoulder to spin her around...and nearly screamed in shock.

No longer was Kiray amber-eyed and smiling; her face had paled so deeply that it looked ancient, and her eyes glowed almost reddish. Her robes were gone, leaving only the armor as it stained itself red. Her brown hair was now black and disheveled, and Mira stepped back in fear.

"Who are you?" Mira asked in disgust, carefully stepping over Atton. Kiray stood and followed, floating on the air.

"I am Kiray as she once was: wild, untamed, and free. You do not yet see what she did to change herself: forcing down her nature to become another thing than she naturally is. But she found herself in a quandary, and I took advantage of that to emerge." The cyan blades extended from Kiray's lightsaber, and Mira knew that she was doomed. She closed her eyes...

"Kir? What...you doin'?"

Kiray spun around, interrupted from her dark dreams, and saw Atton, standing there, shock etched on his face. His lightsabers were in his hands and ready. For a moment, the red anger vanished from Kiray's eyes, the glowing amber staring mournfully at Atton, but soon reappeared.

"What business is it of you to ask what I'm up to? You're next, after all." Atton strode forward to Kiray, staring into the eyes he still loved, trying to find the real Kiray in the twisted face. He stopped right in front of her, barely glancing into her hating eyes. He placed his hands on her forearms and whispered, "Let go."

The touch was electricity in her veins, and the words echoed within the darkness. _Let go._

"But how?"

"Like this."

He bent down, and slowly, softly, he kissed her. It was not the sudden kiss of passion they had shared on Citadel Station; rather, it was tempered, smooth, that told a simple story of the love he had for her, and how it had grown into the kiss he gave her now. It was more than a simple attraction now; it was a love so deep that even when they were opposite to each other, it meshed so perfectly that they couldn't be angry at each other for long.

The twisted features of Kiray's darkness fell away as she returned the kiss, and when her reddish eyes closed, they reopened to the brightest amber light they had ever been. They stepped apart, and Mira groaned.

"Sheesh, I didn't think you'd go all mushy on me. And you were just about to kill me? That's just wrong."

"And you're telling me," Atton answered, brushing aside one strand of Kiray's growing hair. "You had me scared there for a moment."

"For a moment I scared myself." Kiray answered, deactivating her lightsaber. "But we can go over my extreme mind-sets later. Now we need to get this ship disabled and get out of here before the bounty hunters blow it."

"Good idea," Mira said, turning towards the exit, and breaking into a run. Kiray and Atton quickly followed, and the incident faded temporarily from memory.


	24. Apprentices

CHAPTER XXIII: Apprentices

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With Mira's hard work, pretty much no other enemies stood in their way. Of course, that didn't count the exterior defense droids, a minefield that Goto might pop up, and the interior defense droids. Atton was still shuffling around weakly, and Kiray was still semi-dazed from her short trip to the dark side.

How it had happened in the first place was a mystery to her; one minute she was meditating, the next she was trying to kill Mira and had threatened Atton. It just wasn't natural, and Kiray amended to herself that she figure out a time when she could go off on her own for a while and get this straightened out.

"You still with us?" Mira asked when they had finished destroying the turrets. Kiray had only been half-focusing on the fight, but quickly roused herself from her thoughts and nodded. "Yeah, it's just...I don't know the how or why of...you know what. But it feels so..._natural_, in a way, to be more dark than I've been trying lately. Do you get what I saying?"

Mira nodded and replied, "I get what your saying, and trust me, you're not alone. I'd say that every single person, Jedi, Sith, or not, has to go through your struggle day in, day out. They cope cause they're used to it; but you're a _Jedi_, and you just try and try and try to do the right thing, but it represses the kinda natural instincts everyone's got."

"Also seeing that she's a Mandalorian, it's a bit more extreme..." Atton mumbled, causing Mira to do a double-take between Atton and Kiray.

"You're a _Mandalorian?!_" Mira shouted, "You don't look like one!"

"Trust me, the name's normally a dead giveaway," Kiray laughed. She hadn't expected Mira to react like this if and when she was told, but she seemed to be taking it well.

"Well, that's cool by me. I was...erm, _adopted_ by a family of your people when I was younger." Kiray froze; in Mando society, there were two forms of adoption: the name and soul ceremony to be fully accepted to a clan, and then there was the slavery type of adoption. But Kiray didn't press the issue, simply nodded in interest before they went towards what, according to the map Mira had had the foresight to download, would be where the interior defense was set.

Kiray carefully drew her blasters, and was about to motion Atton to activate his stealth unit to remove the mines, but Mira stopped her.

"Easy, let me take the lead this time; I've got a nice little gizmo that can get us through those mines without going up." Kiray glanced down to Mira's belt, hoping to see some kind of module like her shield-weakening device but finding nothing. Mira lightly tapped her leg before leaping forward, Kiray and Atton close behind her.

Atton restrained himself from going farther than the edge of the minefield, but Mira ran all the way towards the center of the field and shouted, "Kiray! Get in there, I don't know how long this is going to last!" The Mandalorian Jedi leaped over the mines and landed unwittingly in the center of a mine's blast radius.

_It did not go off_. Kiray laughed in triumph before attacking the nearest droid with Force lightning and throwing her lightsaber through three others. Atton mustered up a small blast and didn't tire out too greatly, and Mira's rocket launcher dived into operation, mechanically firing grenades at the rest of the droids.

The legion was quickly mopped up, and the next doorway lead into a minefield arching towards the yacht's cockpit. Mira kept her strange leg implant active, and they quickly passed through the mines without harm. The cockpit was easily accessed, and Kiray found a plasteel cylinder that held the codes to the power distribution.

"It's almost too easy," Kiray said out loud as she accessed the main terminal. Mira nodded while Atton glanced around suspiciously. "Almost like Goto wants us to escape..."

"And just how're we going to learn that?" Kiray asked him while she transferred every main system she could find to the secondary power supply, "Goto's been talking to me via holonet. For all we know, he's out in another galaxy."

"Right, like that's reassuring," Atton grumbled, peering over Kiray's shoulder. The work had been swift, and Kiray readied to shut the power down. Her finger hovered over the confirm key as a voice whispered in her mind, _You don't want to be doing this._

_Oh yes I do,_ Kiray shot back, diving her finger towards the key. Her hand and arm refused to move, and it hurt as she struggled against this unseen force.

_You can't compete against me, _The voice said again, more gloatingly this time, _You can't begin to imagine just how powerful I am._ Kiray ignored the voice and struggled to push the button. Atton sensed the struggle, and used his mysterious bond with Kiray to give her strength. Down on the surface, Visas also felt the struggle, and bound her strength to Kiray also. Training with the Miraluka was the handmaiden, and, using the new connection within the Force, she, too, bonded with Kiray.

On the yacht, Kiray felt the surge of power as they overcame the voice's power, and she pushed the button. The sound of nearly everything deactivating hummed loudly, and a sudden hailfire of thunder hit the ship.

"They're other hunters!" Mira called, glancing out at the swarming ships, "The ones that hate Goto. If we don't hurry, we're going to go up with this floating stripbar!" Kiray quickly agreed with her, and they ran back towards the _Hawk_, removing Duros, the vengeful Twin Suns (now dead for good), and many, many Gand before reaching the docking module. The yacht had began its shuddering death right as they raced away, exploding spectactularly in Nar Shaddaa's orbit.

"We're alive!" Mira exulted, hugging both Kiray and Atton in chokeholds until Kiray lightly Force-pushed her new friend off of them. Yes, they were alive, but something still didn't feel right. Kiray quickly stood up from the copilot's seat and quietly wandered through the _Hawk_, Mira following curiously, and, after completing a full circuit around the ship as Atton flew them back to the landing pad, Kiray found the strange thing hovering in the main hold.

It closely resembled one of Goto's floating guard droids, complete with the red eye and jutting attachments. But when she looked into the eye, it was almost like she was looking at something _intelligent_. Mira frowned at the sight of the droid and growled, "Why couldn't you have gone up with that yacht, eh? Besides, how did you escape?"

"It of no concern of yours, Mira," the droid said in Goto's voice, "Besides, it is to the Jedi I offer this droid's services to, not you."

Kiray frowned and said, "All right, I guess I'll accept it. What kind of capabilities does this droid of yours have?"

The droid, G0-T0, rattled off several handy functions before falling silent at Kiray's nod. "Right then, well, I'll keep in touch with you, Goto. Just got some loose ends to tie up, and we'll be going." Kiray turned on her heel, going on alone. Mira waved goodbye from where she was, and Kiray made her way to the docks and met up with everyone at Mira's safehouse.

"Say, Mission, do you want to stick with us for a while? It could be fun," Kiray spun as she stood before the turquoise Twi'lek. Mission gave her a smile but shook her head. "Nah, I've done enough running around the galaxy in my life. Besides, things are bound to get interesting with the bounty hunter truce off; we'll have to see what happens and watch the show."

"All right then, but if anything happens, don't be afraid to call," Kiray said, placing her hand on Mission's shoulder. The kid beamed up at her before waving good-bye to everyone and heading out the door. Kiray sent everyone back to the _Hawk_, and once the handmaiden had vanished after showing Kiray her new powers, as taught by Visas, Zez-Kai and Lonna appeared.

"You have done well in eliminating the Exchange here," Zez-Kai said kindly, "Maybe exile has changed you. Before we go to Dantooine –"

"Actually, Zez-Kai," Lonna interrupted, "I would like to ask Kiray something." The other master nodded and allowed Lonna to speak. Kiray glanced half-guiltily into her former teacher's eyes, and listened as she said, "Kiray, while you were aboard Goto's yacht, I sensed you come to face the darkness that has been dormant within you for quite some time."

"Yes, master," Kiray said, bowing her head and feeling like she was back at the beginning of her apprenticeship, learning Basic from Lonna while trying to break the habit of speaking Mando'a. "I do not know how it happened; it just did."

"I understand, Kiray," Lonna said kindly, and Zez-Kai spoke up, "It is rare for races so steeped in war to have any sensitive to the Force; do you know why?" Kiray shook her head, confused. Zez-Kai placed a hand on Kiray;s shoulder and whispered, "Because they face and embrace their emotions every day. You have not done so in many years, and that caused your emotions to rise to that breaking point several times while you have been here.

"Mandalorians, in particular, have a hard time. In fact, it is commonly believed that because they are so naturally powerful, that they must unconsciously use the Force; that is what makes them so formidable." Kiray's head rose in amazement, and instantly put the pieces together.

"Does this mean that I might be one of the most powerful Jedi ever? All because I am Mando?" Lonna and Zez-Kai nodded.

"That is why I have decided," Lonna said, "rather than departing direct for Dantooine, as Zez-Kai had planned, I will accompany you, and make you as strong as you possibly can be for what is to come. You are ready for what I will teach you, and you will need it when the time is right."

Kiray smiled and bowed. "Thank you! I know that I possibly can't manage my powers, along with those of Visas, Atton, and that handmaiden of Atris's, all on my own. I'm definitely going to need backup."

"And backup is what you will receive!" Lonna laughed, and as they two were about to leave for the _Ebon Hawk_, Zez-Kai stopped them.

"There is something I would teach you, if you have the time." Kiray nodded and watched as Zez-Kai drew his violet double-bladed saber.

"This form is Ataru..."

About an hour later, Kiray had mastered Ataru, hinting at what she was about to become. She smiled at Zez-Kai and bowed in thanks before he, too, vanished into Nar Shaddaa.

Before returning to the _Hawk_, Kiray stopped by Vogga the Hutt's lair and wrapped up a few details in getting Citadel Station on Telos a new fuel source from Sleheryon. Then, she and Lonna Vash returned to the _Ebon Hawk_. Atton's master was now an apprentice, and even Visas, who could feel the Jedi Master as they boarded, asked for some light training to pass on to the handmaiden.

"I will be pleased to do so!" Lonna said kindly to Visas, who smiled before drifting away to her dormitory. Lonna glanced over to Kiray and commented, "You certainly have a rather colorful group with you."

"No kidding. Of course, the last person I'm expecting to see is this new Mandalore," Kiray replied as she walked around the ship with her, trying to find a space for her to stay, "But maybe, since Kavar is hiding on Onderon, we can make a very short trip to Dxun and see what he's done with what he's swept together."

"Sounds like a good plan to me!" Kahned called from his dorm at the opposite end of the ship. Kiray just sighed as she scratched her head over this new task. Lonna rested her hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I can find some place. Maybe I'll bunk with that Miraluka you found."

Kiray gave Lonna a nod, and she carefully proceeded back to the cockpit.

"So we're aiming for Onderon?" Atton asked, sounding eager to leave the Smuggler's Moon. Kiray gave him a nod while she readied the galaxy map, and the _Ebon Hawk_ rose from its platform and weaved through Nar Shaddaa's grimy towers before finding a safe exit vector. With another very short warning and shouts from everyone, Atton threw them into lightspeed, leaving Nar Shaddaa behind for a good long while.

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**A/N: **Yay, Nar Shaddaa done! OK, and here's a scoop for all of you: I need your help! On my profile page I have a character that needs a name! PM me with your idea, best one gets honorable mention in the chapter I start with her. See the profile for full details.

Props, and review!


	25. Blockades and Crashes

CHAPTER XXIV: Blockades and Crashes

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Atton drew them out of lightspeed just to the edge of the long lines of ships waiting to dock at Iziz on Onderon. Kiray stood to the side, with Lonna Vash manning the copilot's chair. "Looks like this is going to be a nice long wait," Atton grumbled as he sat back on the chair. Kiray nodded and frowned, muttering, "_Haar'chak, shabla ram'or!_ Can we get past them?"

"I doubt it," Lonna replied as Atton gave Kiray a confused look. She muttered, "A damn, frakking siege, that's what this is." Atton "oohhh"ed in understanding as he settled in front of his consoles. Kahned walked into the cockpit and reported, "Everyone's strapped down and ready in case we need to get moving. If anything happens, we had better break for any planetoid nearby."

"True, and good job, Kahned," Kiray said, more than a little distracted. Kahned gave her a nod before returning to the main hold. Suddenly, a wisp of fog appeared in Kiray's vision, and as she watched, afraid of what would happen, she could see to another bridge. Standing together were two soldiers, and one, as Kiray could see, had the rank of colonel.

"What?!" the colonel shouted to the other officer, "The _Ebon Hawk_ has reached Onderon? Dispatch the A-wings to drive them away, destroy, if need be, but get that freighter away from Onderon!"

The vision dissipated, and Kiray soon heard the colonel's voice over their own comm. system.

"This is Colonel Tobin to the _Ebon Hawk_. You are not welcome here on Onderon, and, unless you leave now, you will not escape from us!" Kiray's head snapped up to see three A-wing starfighters hurtling right for them.

"Atton, do you see them?" Kiray asked, almost getting ready to wrench Atton out of the pilot's seat, "How about you get us moving..."

"Uh, right! Right, yeah...Why are they coming after us?"

"Oh, get up, you _di'kut_!" Kiray shouted, grabbing Atton and throwing him to the side. She thumbed the intercom and shouted, "Kahned or Bao, get up in the turret and give it a workout, we're gonna need some cover fire!"

"On it, General!" Bao-Dur answered, and the thuds of footsteps running gave Kiray some kind of relief before sending the _Hawk_ into a steep dive, weaving between ships to find an opening to edge out of. She could hear the laser turrets firing at the trailing A-wings, and she watched the shields slowly get washed away by each fighter's torpedoes or repetitive cannon fire.

"We're getting down low!" Atton yelled as he dashed for the main hold, "Where's that T3 unit, he needs to bolster the shield generator!"

"Too late, shields gone!" Lonna shouted, "We have to make a break for Dxun if we are to survive!"

"Look!" Mira called, "Seems like we started something!" Kiray spared a glance out the viewport to see all the other cruisers taking potshots at the blockade and dartlike fighters.

"Good, it'll keep them distracted while we make a swerve to Dxun," Kiray muttered before turning the _Hawk_ away from the blockade around Onderon and towards the nearest livable moon: Dxun. She held the ship steady as they slid through Dxun's atmosphere undetected, and they landed in a small clearing near a beautiful, calming waterfall.

Atton marched back up to the cockpit, looking dejected and forlorn. "Pretty much everything's shot, and we're going to need some time for repairs, especially on the shield generator. I'm going to have to stay here 'til everything's patched up."

"In the meantime," Lonna put in, "seeing as this is Dxun, we should see if any _Mando'ade _have returned here to unite once more."

"Yes, and I still need to report to Mandalore, if you want to meet him," Kahned added. Kiray nodded in agreement before asking, "You do know how to get to the camp, right?"

"There are a few old trails that're still at least travelable," Kahned explained, "but I wouldn't count on not running across any cannoks or maalraas while we're out there; at worse, we'll meet a zakkeg."

"All right, Kahned, you're coming with me. Anyone else you'd recommend?"

"Probably Master Vash-"

"No, but I thank you," Lonna interrupted, "I'll be more helpful on the ship anyway. Take Mira; she's seemed a little restless since we've left Nar Shaddaa, and some action might do her good."

"All right, let's move out," Kiray said, leaving the cockpit with Kahned following. Mira was snagged by the shoulder and the bounty huntress also followed the Mandalorians out into the jungle.

"Just as I imagined," Mira remarked when she reached the bottom of the boarding ramp, "hot, humid, and rainy. What kind of strategic value could this place have had back during the wars?"

"It was close to a population center," Kahned pointed out as Kiray surveyed the area, "a few years or so, Dxun skims Onderon's atmosphere. That's how the drexls crossed over millennia ago, and we followed their path when we took Onderon."

"So Dxun's value relies on Onderon's," Kiray finished, returning from her glances up the trails. "Both sides have about three cannoks each, but the paths cross near another trio of cannoks and a maalraas. Mira, if you come with me on the high road, Kahned can handle the lower path." Kiray's brother grinned and gave her a salute with one of his vibroswords before jogging off to the lower path.

"Sounds to me like there's more to getting him off your back than just to take care of three cannoks," Mira stated pointedly as they set off towards the other path. Kiray sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Guess there's no getting around you," Kiray answered, "Lonna mentioned to me that you've been rather restless lately."

"Yeah, but I'm just homesick. Nar Shaddaa has its own life, y'know? Like its own rhythms, ebbs and flows, that kind of thing." Kiray nodded in understanding; hundreds of worlds were like that, and Nar Shaddaa was one of the more unique ones she'd felt.

"I noticed that too; maybe next time we're back we can take a listen." Mira gave Kiray a strange look and replied, "Now, don't try and get some kind of Jedi training onto me. If I wanted it, then I'd ask, okay?"

"All right, just thought I'd ask," Kiray backed off; Mira's temper rivaled her own sometimes. They sliced through the trio of cannoks in total silence save the rumbling of thunder. Kiray paused after the battle, hearing clashing blades and the growls of wild animals.

"Kahned!" she hissed, switching the blades back on. "What is the idiot doing now?" She ran into a second clearing, Mira hot on her heels, and Kiray saw Kahned dukeing it out, blade against claw, with three cannoks and two maalraas, with more on the way.

"If the _ordinii_ isn't careful, he'll get a boma out here...or worse!" Kiray charged at the tight knot surrounding her brother, her lightsaber neatly slicing through the cannoks until she reached Kahned. "_Ori'vod, vercopaanir gaa'tayl?"_ (**Big brother, wishing for help?)**

"_Gedet'ye?_" **(Please?) **Kahned asked as he swung a heavy punch at a leaping maalraas. Kiray whisked her saber at an attacking cannok and stabbed into its skull. There was a soft explosion from a grenade that Mira had fired, a stunner, and Kiray and Kahned took the opportunity to remove the rest of the beasts.

"Well, that was fun," Mira commented as she sauntered over to the battle site. Kahned was tired and scratched in a dozen places, and with a simple gesture from Kiray, they healed. "What say we keep moving?"

"That I'm all for," Kahned voted, and the three of them traveled deeper into the forest. Only one or two cannoks and maalraas crossed their path, and Mira was fast enough to shoot them down before either of the Mandalorians had to even get their weapons ready.

They did stop, however, at a crashed ship that was in even worse shape than the _Hawk_ and surrounded by Duros bounty hunters. "Zhugs," Mira growled, "How perfect."

"More of them?" Kahned asked, twirling his blades in preparation as the lead Zhug approached and began speaking.

"_Ah, I assume you are the one who started the fight up there._" Kiray scoffed and answered, "And you know, it really wasn't me; it was that colonel's fault."

"_But he was targeting you. And you are lucky that we landed in the same place, because, after your little stunts on the Smuggler's Moon, the bounty on your head has doubled. Now that would cause me to be afraid, no?"_

"Uh, no. I'm not scared of small-time hunters who don't mind if the merchandise is dead or alive." The bounty hunter shrugged and growled, "_So be it."_

He and his compatriots readied their rifles, while Kiray leaped a good two meters to attack the leader. Kahned jogged at a steady pace to attack another hunter, and Mira's fire focused on the third. The bounty hunters, however, were not as well-trained as the three of them, and it was only after two seconds each that all the hunters were killed. Kahned's head snapped up at a few cracking twigs, and he gestured the two women down to the ground.

All he said was, "_They're coming._"


	26. Meeting Mandalore

CHAPTER XXV: Meeting Mandalore

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Kiray and Mira, although filled to the brim with their own questions, followed Kahned's advice and hid themselves among the brush a few meters away. Kahned looted the bodies of the Zhugs as the crashing grew louder, and, to Kiray's eternal surprise, three Mandalorian warriors appeared from among the trees. Mira looked at them in shock; the huntress glanced over to Kiray and mouthed, _You recognize 'em?_

Kiray shook her head and mimed a mask around her face. _Can't sense through it; they have good emotion control._ Mira nodded, and they both settled down to watch the action unfold.

"_Tion'cuy?! Gar pirunir sur'haaise beroya jareor! _**(Who are you?! You defeated bounty hunters suicidally!)**" one burst out, not being gracious at all in his wordage. Kahned shrugged before placing his blades in their shoulder sheaths.

"It wasn't anything," Kahned excused, waving his hand calmly, as Kiray would if she were using a mind trick, "but that's not the main issue here. I'm Kahned, son of Cassus, and I need to speak with Mandalore."

"Right, Kahned _Cassus'ad_ **(son of Cassus)**," another scout replied, "but we need a firmer reason than just you need to speak with him." Kahned shot a glance to the bushes Kiray and Mira were hiding in, and gave them a nod. Mira stood first, her eyes analyzing the scouts warily as Kiray rose.

"I am the reason we must speak with the new _Mand'alor_," Kiray began, "_Ni Kiray Fett'ad, Mando Jetii _**(I am Kiray daughter of Fett, Mandalorian Jedi)**. I seek Mandalore's aid in reaching Onderon."

The three scouts froze as Kiray said her title, and they exchanged shocked looks behind their helmets. "You bet Mandalore's gonna want to speak with you, girly. That brother of yours, too, and maybe your lovely friend, too."

"Don't even think about it, hotshot. I'm not your type," Mira growled, and the obviously superior officer looked over at his compatriots and shook his head imperceptibly.

"Yeah, if you'll just follow us, we can take you direct to camp. Unless you want the cannoks to get you."

Everyone with Kiray instantly shook their heads no, and the lead chuckled. "I thought not. All right, come on, we don't want to end up beast food." He turned on his heel, and the small caravan proceeded through the jungle.

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They emerged in a well-organized command center among the ruins of an old Mandalorian forward command center. Kiray looked around in fascination at a working technician, several warriors training in battle circles, and a few patrolmen going out into the leafy overgrowth. _Something like this must have taken years to gather and organize,_ she thought, awestruck, as the main scout the trio had come across led them into what was obviously the heart of the base.

Quite a few consoles were around, blinking contentedly, as Kiray, Kahned, and Mira were escorted down a small ramp and to the left. Standing before a huge wall of screens was a Mandalorian warrior, wearing the battered gray armor and helm of a true Mandalore. Kiray and Kahned bowed at the sight, having the instinct drilled into them from as early as they could remember. Mira settled for inclining her head in mild respect, a gesture that Mandalore returned to all three of them before looking over at Kiray.

"I've been hearing rumors about you," he said in a rough Basic, but easily understood. "Everything you've done on the Smuggler's Moon; I'm impressed. Of course, your companions are whispered about as well, particularly an ex-assassin of Revan's who flies your ship and a Jedi master intent on making you the newest master on the Council."

Kiray blinked in surprise; she had no doubts that there were rumors about Atton no matter where they went, but Lonna was a whole other matter entirely. She had only just been picked up from Nar Shaddaa after being trapped Force knew where, and Kiray had doubted any rumors simmering up on her account.

"Yes, I travel with a former assassin of Revan's, but I have begun training him as a Jedi Knight, and I intend to do so with Mira here," Kiray answered, motioning towards Mira. Mandalore looked over at her, and, suddenly, Mira bowed deeply and uttered, in the barest whisper:

"_Jatne vod._"

Kiray could deduce from that that Mira had once been very closely related to Mandalorians, as much as the huntress had said when Kiray informed her of her heritage, but then it hadn't seemed to be _that_ terrible a relation. But saying the most honorary form of sir, Kiray recognized the common habit of slaves in saying it no matter how many times you asked not to. Kiray reached down to Mira and lightly tugged her up from the ultra-low bow.

"Ah, a former slave, if I am right," Mandalore commented, and, just at that, Mira dropped to all fours and muttered, "_Ni ceta, ni ceta..."_

"Mira, relax," Kahned hissed, "He won't punish you; you've helped my sister well on the journey, so don't worry so badly." Mira got up in embarrassment, her face as red as her hair. Mandalore gave the poor girl a nod before looking at Kahned behind the cold, emotionless visor.

"Well, it looks like you fulfilled your mission well, _Alor'uus _**(Corporal)** Fett. I have a new assignment for you: protect your sister from any Sith slime that try to attack her." Kahned bowed and, taking it as a dismissal, left from Kiray's right to wait by the door. Mira slinked away after him, but Kiray gave her an encouraging smile as the Jedi was left alone. Mandalore clapped his hands together and said, "Well, to business, then."

"What kind of business are we talking about, _ner al'verde_ **(my commander)**?" Kiray asked, crossing her arms. Her robe billowed slightly as Mandalore came up to her side and walked with her out of his lair.

"There are many stories of you around camp, Kiray Fett. No one, not even me, has been able to hear every spin on each, but there is one that is never spun. Always told in the same fashion, concerning the same people."

"What story?"

"When you first killed a member of _Aliit _**(Clan)** Fett. It was on this very moon, if I remember rightly." Kiray stopped outside of a locked set of hangar doors and stared over to a battle circle. She, too, could remember what happened that day...

(FLASHBACK:_ Four years, seven months ago, Dxun._)

The rain was fierce when she emerged from the dropship. The cyan glow of her lightsaber shone on the plants, but, more importantly, on the surrounding enemy forces.

_Remember, the ENEMY, not other _Mando'ade_, no matter what they think; you are _Jetii, _not one of them. They are the enemy._

Her lightsaber flashed brilliantly as it cut through the thick armor plate, deflecting blaster fire coming at her back at those who fired at her. She did not look on the right shoulder of the enemy's armor, to see what clan they were from, or what rank they had had before killing them mercilessly.

_They are the enemy..._

She barely came out of her battle-driven daze to stand with Revan and Malak as they plotted their next move. Even though her lightsaber was not active, it would only be moments before it glowed again, fighting, killing, breaking the weapons brought against her.

_They are not your friends; they are a threat..._

The rain never abated, giving her trail of carnage an accompanying line of smoke from the blades on her saber.

_Do not stop until they are all dead, until they can't hurt anyone anymore..._

The commander of the garrison begged when the fight was finished. The thunder drowned out his words as he bowed before Revan, hoping for mercy, only letting his head come off all the faster. It was honorless, it was without pride...

_They are the enemy._

She strolled through the piles of bodies as search parties tried to find fallen comrades. One pile that was being prepared for a burning was fully comprised of dead Mandalorians, and a glint caught her eye as the sun finally appeared.

She bent down, brushing the small amount of dirt from the shoulder patch on the warrior's shoulder. Her fingers fell when she recognized the skull marking of her father's regiments. On a strange impulse, she dragged the body from the pile and wrenched off the helmet, revealing...

A raven-haired girl of about twenty, full lips half-open in shock and eyes closed in death. She saw the face, and recognized it, giving it a name...

_Ruusaan, my cousin, what are you doing here?_ She stroked the face, tears touching her eyes. Through blurred vision, she could see the small, cauterized cuts on her arms, legs, and chest, with a stab wound through the stomach. It was how she had been swinging her lightsaber when she'd come through in her haze of bloodlust.

_I have killed a member of my family. They cannot be the enemy if they are my family._

_What monster have I become?_

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Kiray shuddered at the memory before looking sorrowfully at Mandalore. He seemed to stare at her in understanding before he said, "I, too, have killed members of Clan Ordo in my task to reassemble the clans. They refused to give up their merc ways, and a few even chose to be so bold as to try and kill me. Heh, try as they might..."

"They did not defeat you," Kiray finished, looking away. "Yes, that feeling is one I am also familiar with, Mandalore."

He seemed to frown at that, and quickly changed the subject. "Today is no time to focus on the crimes of the past. If you want to get to Onderon, your friends might have to do a few jobs around the camp. Even your boyfriend the pilot."


	27. Jobs for Mandalore

CHAPTER XXVI: Jobs for Mandalore

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Everyone except T3-M4 had soon gathered at the Mandalorian camp. Atton shuffled his feet nervously, Lonna was perfectly silent, and Bao-Dur, of all people, had a look of the deepest hatred and disgust etched across his face, no matter how hard he tried not to. Kiray stood outside of the line, watching as Mandalore lined up his commanders: the captain of the guard; Zuka, the technician; Xarga, the trainer of the recruits; Kelborn, who commanded the scouts; and a sergeant who ran a dueling circle with some of the better fighters.

"Now, each of us has a couple of jobs your people can do, _Mando Jetii_," Mandalore began, looking them up and down. "The first is something me and my men have been working at for quite some time.

"We've been hunting around for old caches to supply and sell for credits. One we found in the northwestern jungle, but we didn't have the time to blow it open. The task is easy: blow that cache open and recover whatever you find. Who'll take it?"

Lonna stepped forward, and Mandalore nodded. "You'll be sufficient. We'll give you a map of the area, and some time to outfit yourself with whatever you need." Lonna nodded simply and stepped away, towards the quartermaster, Kex.

Zuka, the tech, came up next, and began, "Right, well, uh, I'm trying to fix a relay dish that'll up our sensors. To fix it, we gotta repair some faulty wiring and then get the telemetry computer up and running. Who wants to have a go?"

G0-T0, the droid that Goto spoke through, hovered forward. Atton glanced over to Bao-Dur, wondering if the Iridonian technician would step up, but Kahned did instead. "Good of ya," Zuka said agreeably, "Well, c'mon, the wires aren't going to patch themselves up!" The threesome went on their way.

The Mandalorian guard captain stepped up next, challenging, "We've come across several nasty beasties while we've been here, but no one's managed to get the zakkeg that lairs to the southeast. Whoever of you can bring that monster down and bring one of its ears as trophy will earn great honor. Only one may go."

Boldly, and much to Kiray's surprise, Atton walked forward. He looked half-confident and half-scared that he would do something so suicidal. The captain chuckled softly and growled, "You'll do fine, _Jetii_. Just watch out for the cannoks, and don't get too close to that zakkeg; it'll rip you to shreds." Atton gulped before standing to the side with Lonna.

Kelborn wandered forward next, growling in a basso rumble, "A few scouts have landed in the aftermath of the space battle you started up there. I need a couple of good hunters to track them down before they find our camp. Who wants in?" Mira and HK-47 strode forward automatically, a smile on Mira's face and, if HK had a mouth, he might have been wearing a matching smile. Kelborn nodded, and quietly gestured them over to go over the situation before crashing into the overgrowth.

Xarga came next, telling the remnants of Kiray's group of a scout of his, Kumus, who'd gone missing a few days ago. Visas decided to claim that errand, and strolled rather leisurely into the jungle. The sergeant came up last, but, as Bao-Dur was the last one left, he told Bao-Dur what he would do: fight the best of the Mandalorian warriors to earn great renown. However, the sergeant was careful when he pointed out that the fights would only be until the opponent was knocked out, but that didn't faze Bao in the slightest, and they departed for the main battle circle.

"Well, _Mand'alor_, what do you want me to do?" Kiray asked as everyone left to accomplish their chosen job. Mandalore gestured out into the jungle and said, reverently:

"Out there are the ghosts of all whom you've slain here during the war. You must come to terms with them, and when you do that, I will bring you into the fold of Clan Ordo." Kiray straightened in surprise, amber eyes glowing.

"You would have me go through with _gai bal manda_ **(adoption ceremony; name and soul)**, by coming to terms with the darkness within me?"

"It is the only way. You killed more during the war than Malak and Revan combined, and you used to be one of us. If you do this, and use the armor of our crashed warships to create a new armor, you will fully earn the title of Mandalorian Jedi."

Kiray nodded, and asked, "What equipment can I take?"

"You know the drill, _Fett'ad_: nothing that will make you rely upon things other than yourself. I can't take the Force from you, but no lightsaber, or armor, or blasters. Surely your father did this with others of your clan?"

"He did. I will need some time to ready myself, though."

"I'll give you a day. That should be enough time to let your friends get their jobs done, and then we'll send you off. Come back when you know that you are at terms with yourself."

With that, Mandalore walked off to his command center. Kiray stood in the grassy expanse of the camp, wondering what she should do to prepare herself. _Maybe seeing how Bao can stand up to the so-called warriors of Mandalore's scrapings._ With a nod, Kiray sauntered off to the battle circle.

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"Why I decided to go off into this mess with you, I got no idea," Mira muttered to herself as she and HK marched along the path. They had left Kelborn a little earlier at a small intersection. All the scout had said was that the scouts were nearby before dashing off, activating his stealth generator as he went.

"Resolute Answer: It is only because you have instincts that my sensors cannot compete with," HK replied easily, hefting his blaster rifle to make a point. "Excited Clarification: However, my assassination protocols are most likely better when we get to the shooting of organic meatbags!" Mira groaned as they rounded a corner.

"What were those monsters that attacked us?" a voice asked in shock. Mira stopped, HK quivering in anticipation next to her, as a masculine voice answered, "I don't know, but I think they're called cannoks. Nasty creatures, if you ask me, but we follow the colonel's orders, remember?"

Mira allowed herself to step beyond the small hill to reveal herself to the scouts. They froze in their tracks.

"Is she -?"

"I think she is! It's the Jedi! Get her!"

"Frakking idiots!" Mira shouted as she drew her blasters to counter the scouts' incoming blast. HK screeched delightedly as he, too, unleashed his rifle on the scouts, and the other two fell fast. Mira pressed her foot on the chest of one, glaring at the uniform. "Onderonian. Must've been sent by the colonel who tried to shoot us down when we were trying to get into Iziz."

"Query: Should we try and find more scouts to interrogate, or otherwise kill as viciously as these?" HK's photoreceptors seemed to gleam with a bloodlust rarely seen in even other assassin models, and, with a small grin, Mira nodded.

"C'mon, you robotic psychopath, let's find some more scouts."

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Atton was scared, he admitted it. He didn't want to deal with this beast that the guard captain had said no one had ever killed before; the skeletons around him were testament enough. He stared towards the end of the tunnel, where he could hear the huffing breath of the zakkeg.

He knew he couldn't go at it in close combat; the last time he'd tried to survive a melee scrap he'd needed Mission Vao's innovative turrets to finish off the Twin Suns. Atton thought back to the old days; what if this was a Jedi he was hunting, and not some vile beast? He knew that the Jedi would be cornered; if he was smart about this, he could plant a minefield and lead the Jedi into it before he even got close with the lightsaber.

_But how can I get past his blasted senses?_ Atton wondered, allowing himself to fall into his self-woven illusion. His fingers stroked the stealth unit he wore on his belt, and he smiled. _Perfect._

Without a further delay, Atton activated his stealth unit, and crept closer to the wide turn. He could hear the zakkeg – _no, the Jedi_ – just around the bend, and Atton quickly laid the minefield before it charged him. Most of the destructive mines went into the first lines, followed by the stunners; if he could get in a few good slashes with his blades while it was stunned, he'd be golden to mop it up with his blasters.

He finished with the mines, and, as he straightened, Atton deactivated the stealth unit. The zakkeg's ears perked up when it picked up Atton's scent, and then seeing its prey waving bright beams of light caused the huge zakkeg to charge.

Atton watched, in his own self-delusion, as the Jedi charged for him, roaring, red lightsaber blazing. He grinned malevolently as the Jedi hit the first line of mines, then the second, and ran through the stunners. He paused, momentarily concussed. _Attack! While he's weak!_

Atton leaped at the Jedi, bringing the blades crashing against the shoulders. He sliced, scoring the armor plating, but the Jedi didn't react. He kept swinging his blades, intent on destroying the Jedi.

With a roar of pain, the zakkeg fell as Atton cut through one of the monster's main veins. He blinked in surprise to see the zakkeg's bulk rather than the Jedi's corpse, but he shrugged it off, thinking, _I gotta be careful about deluding myself like that. If that happens around Kiray..._. He mentally shuddered at the consequences, but plucked an ear off of the zakkeg and turned around.

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Kiray stood to the side of the battle circle, watching Bao-Dur fighting against the Mandalorians. His first opponent, a fresh recruit named Davrel, was off somewhere licking his wounds and injured pride. His second, the quartermaster, Kex, had decided to step up to the plate, and had gotten his arrogance handed back to him on a silver platter. Now he was facing down Tagren, the third of the warriors under the sergeant's wing.

This fight was without weapons, and Bao-Dur was doing well. Kiray bit her lip as she watched Bao execute a difficult move that wore Tagren down, but Tagren's return stroke was just as powerful. It took all of Kiray's willpower and the hand of Bralor, the toughest fighter of the lot, to keep her from leaping into the fight and ending it right then and there.

But she could sense the Iridonian's battle rage coming; his face was growing less and less stony, and the thin tattoos were strangely growing thicker and more visible. Kiray watched in fear as Bao-Dur unleashed a punishing wave of attacks against Tagren that the Mandalorian could not withstand. He quickly yielded, knowing he could not fight against the rage that Bao-Dur was dishing out.

"_Kandosii! _**(Wicked!)**" a few cheered, clapping hands on Bao-Dur's shoulders. The Zabrak was breathing hard, and his tattoos thinned out again. Kiray threw an arm over his shoulder and asked, "Are you all right?"

"No. I feel...worn out, general. I don't know how or why, but I do. Especially when Tagren got me hard." Bao-Dur settled himself on the edges of the circle as a pair of trainees walked in to practice. Kiray sat next to him.

"When fighting, warriors often forget exactly why they fight; they just do it, and often call on the wrong side for aid. It was common in Jedi during the wars, to forget what they were doing and calling the dark side; the anger, the hatred just wells up to a point that it can't be ignored. Maybe that's what happened to you."

"Perhaps," Bao-Dur replied, watching the recruits fight. Kiray watched with him in silence for a few minutes before getting up and approaching the sergeant.

"Listen, my friend's worn out. Could I take his place and fight a bit before I'm due to go out?" The sergeant considered for a moment, and nodded.

"Your friends with Kelborn reported a successful takedown of the scouts; you're cleared to fight him, but it's on Kelborn's terms." The Mandalorian in question appeared behind the sergeant.

"Blade only; no Jedi tricks," he said bluntly. Kiray nodded in agreement, and they cleared the ring as the sergeant announced the battle. She stood across form Kelborn, and, as a point of honor, they bowed to each other.

The fight began, and Kiray was surprised at how simple it was to fight Kelborn; whenever she leaped into the air to attack, or riposted his own strike, the scratches he received then seemed to be self-inflicted. When their blades were locked against each other's, Kiray growled, "Stop holding back; I can take you!"

"I'm not holding back; you?" he asked as he shoved back. Kiray shoved even harder.

"Not even breaking a sweat, _vod_." She leaped away, only to leap right back and throwing Kelborn off his feet. The tip of her blade reached Kelborn's throat, and he growled, "I yield. _Kyr ge'kaan_ **(end of exercise)**."

Kiray straightened, and helped Kelborn up as the sergeant declared the battle's result. The sergeant looked over at her, and Kiray could swear that, through the visor, he was wide-eyed in awe. "You have won much honor, and you can fight Bralor, if you wish it."

Kiray glanced over to Bao-Dur, who was now ringed by everyone else except Atton. They were all nodding, waiting to see Kiray in action again. Kiray handed the sergeant her dueling blade and drew her lightsaber. "My terms, yes? Then everything allowed: weapons, Force, anything. I'm sure Bralor wouldn't want to be disappointed when we fight."

"Certainly, I do not," Bralor said with an invisible grin. With that, the two expert warriors entered the circle. The sergeant called out the battle before facing the circle to watch. Atton appeared after the announcement had been made, and he stood with Kahned as the fight began.

As Bralor ran at her, Kiray unleashed a violent scream, causing most people, even Bralor, to grab their ears and grimace painfully. She took the upper hand by leaping up and over Bralor, scoring a few gashes along his back, but the warrior had recovered quickly; as Kiray tried to slide away, Bralor grabbed her wrist and swung her towards the ground. She countered by planting her feet on his chest and pushing off, throwing Bralor in the opposite direction and slashing down his chest.

Bralor landed hard as Kiray skidded to a stop, but he used his momentum to roll forward as he drew a vibrosword to stab at Kiray. She sidestepped the attack, kicked the blade out of Bralor's hand, and brought the tip of her primary blade to his throat. He coughed slightly as they panted hard, and Bralor rumbled, "_Kyr ge'kaan._ You fight well, Jedi. I am honored to have fought you, and I know the Sith will be sorry when you are unleashed."

"That's what I'm hoping," Kiray said with a smile after collapsing her blades and helping Bralor up. Several Mandalorians charged forward, screaming, "_KANDOSII!!_", and they lifted Kiray on their shoulders. Kiray's friends cheered, and Atton grinned, thinking, _That's my girl._

That was impressive," the voice of Mandalore said, cutting through the awed celebration like a knife. Kiray was carefully lowered as the crowds dissipated, with a few clappings on the shoulder as she, her eight companions, and Mandalore in relative peace.

"I think now is the time to begin the _gai bal manda_," Mandalore began. Kiray's party whispered among themselves, most turning to Lonna for an explanation. Atton just stared at Kiray as she slowly nodded and began dropping her gear. Her Mandalorian robes soon laid in a neat pile at her feet, the lightsaber resting atop it. He hadn't seen her underwear since Peragus, and it was dirtier from mostly sweat and the hard work they'd been doing for..._has it really been three months? Damn..._.

"Go, Kiray Fett, and you will return Kiray Fett-Ordo, or Ordo-Fett, whatever you want. Just get outta here, and come back when you're done." Kiray nodded and started jogging off for the jungle. Atton almost wanted to run after her, to say good-bye, or good luck, but Kahned held him firm.

"Let her go, Jedi hunter. This is for her only; it is the only way for her to be successful in finding all the masters...and then defeating the Sith."

"And you know that how?" Kahned was silent, and they both watched the dense jungle, both hoping Kiray would survive this.

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**A/N:** Jeez, fifteen pages. At least I have one hundred reviews...see the full thanks in my profile for details. Stay with me; major freestyling ahead.


	28. Gai bal Manda

CHAPTER XXVII: _Gai bal Manda_

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Kiray ran until she was too tired to run any more. The sun had already set, and Onderon blazed brightly in the sky like an oversized moon. The underbrush was thick here, perfect to make a camp that was safe from the nocturnal predators, and, expanding her senses to encompass a few klicks, there was a crashed ship nearby when the time came to craft her next armor.

_I have never truly gone through with this ceremony,_ Kiray thought to herself as she ripped a few leaves and branches to form a nest in a tree. The first time, it had been a short excursion supervised by her father; the second was in exile, and even then, she hadn't been removed of almost all of her personal possessions. Kiray crossed her legs when her small lookout post was finished, and stare out over the jungle.

Instinctively, she started reaching out with the Force to enhance her senses, but she stopped instantly, tamping down her senses. _This is a Mandalorian ceremony; Jedi acts do not count for anything._ A chill laugh echoed in her mind, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. Kiray glanced down at her bare skin, and, even in the fading light, she could see her skin dulling before her very eyes.

_Is this what I have to come to terms with? Or is this a symptom of my acts in the wars?_

Her skin halted its fading activity. With a slight hint of trepidation, Kiray opened herself to the Force. The thunders of life on the moon roared around her, and Kiray breathed in the air, tasting the life all around. Even amidst the life, though, Kiray could still sense an echo within the Force. She reached out, trying to trace it, but it was elusive.

_Where is it? What is causing it? How will I heal this...wound?_ Kiray retreated into herself, and she straightened in shock. She felt down within herself again, and she found it.

Where there had once been a blaze of light and life, fueling her and giving her strength, what her soul had been, there was, in its place, a gaping hole of blackness. Kiray cringed at the sight of it, and it laughed at her. The wound within her reached out, sucking at the Force, devouring it like some parasite. Kiray saw, in fear and awe, as it followed her bonds, her connections to her friends, taking life, power, from them.

_No, NO! How could this happen? What – it must have been – but it was years ago, how could it affect me now? Even then I had bonds, so – oh, Force, no! NO!_

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(FLASHBACK: _Seven years ago, Malachor V._)

"The mass shadow generator's ready, General," Bao-Dur informed her. She nodded absently, staring at the world below her. Deep down, in the suppressed core of her inner being, she wanted to run from this place and hide in some hole. But, now, she was different now, and she would face this planet in the way her former comrades wouldn't.

"Has Revan made contact yet?" Her voice was grating with an ache that had been growing ever since the start of the war. Bao-Dur nodded and replied, almost casually, "She's preparing to hit the main command center and take down the Mandalore. Once he's taken care of, we can activate the generator."

_My father will be down there. If he is lucky..._

"Very good. We will wait for Revan's –" The comm. board went off almost immediately, and she whipped around to a young, skittish comm. officer has the signal decrypted.

"It's Revan, ma'am. She says Mandalore's been taken care of, and that you are clear to proceed."

"Nothing about evacuation orders?"

"No, ma'am. Just that the war'll be over when the generator's live." She nodded, and turned her gaze to the viewport again. Bao-Dur stood at her shoulder, looking concerned.

"General? Do you want to activate the mass shadow generator?" he asked, offering the control board. She stared down at it, musing at how simple it appeared, before staring out the viewport again. A nearby Mandalorian command vessel, the _Ravager_, hovered in space, crippled by her own flagship's superior firepower.

_Father and Force, forgive me._ She reached out to the control panel Bao-Dur offered, and she pressed the blinking green activation key. There was a massive rumble far below, and, try as she might, there was no shutting out the cries of pain and agony as Malachor imploded. Republic and Mandalorian screamed together in death, and they ripped through her very soul, taking the comforting light from her chest and replacing it with the cold, aching darkness she was so familiar with. Every Mandalorian ship, including the _Ravager_, was drawn closer to Malachor's imploding surface. Several hulks ignited against the atmosphere, and the fires spread to a few too-close Republic ships, and those deaths tore through her like the fires consuming the ships.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the tears at the pain. Too many were dying, the death was catastrophic; she could not take it any longer, and the blackness claimed her.

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Kiray struggled against the tears as the gap that had been her soul laughed and laughed mirthlessly. _Now you see, don't you? You were made this way, by yourself and your silly little affections that developed into bonds. The deaths fueled me, and you, no matter what delusions you clung to._

_And I will kill them, and then, when you are too consumed by grief at your own doing, I will destroy you and release myself on the galaxy!_

_Never, _Kiray hissed at it, _I will never betray my friends. And I will fight you with every fiber of my being!_

_We are one and the same, dear girl. By fighting me you will only harm yourself. You will call your friends for strength, and even then, you will feed me, make me stronger._

_Never! You will never win! I fight for the Republic, the freedom of the galaxy, and the Jedi Order! _

"I WILL DEFEAT YOU! YOU WILL NEVER KILL THEM!" Kiray shrieked aloud, fists clenched, and she battled the tear within her, binding it with everything she knew, forcing it away from her, fighting as the dark tendrils slapped against her.

_It is only as strong as I am. This cannot be won with strength_. Kiray relaxed immediately, and a strange mantra echoed through her mind, She'd never heard it before, but as the darkness washed over her, and fear threatened to take its hold, it thundered like a marching drum.

_I shall not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total annihilation. I will face my fear. I will let it wash over me and through me, and when it is gone, my fear will be behind me. Only I will remain._

_Only I will remain._

"Only I will remain." Kiray echoed. The gaping maw slid past her, vanishing into the jungle's mists with a threatening rumble. She breathed hard at the effort as she opened her eyes, taking in the jungles below her. With a sudden burst of energy that she had never felt in so long, Kiray leaped down from her nest and hiked through the plant life towards the wrecked ship.

With the temporary conquering of the wound in the Force, everything seemed even more alive than ever. Kiray hopped a little as she walked, feeling everything without creating a link to it. _Am I free? If I am, it will not be for long._

Kiray moved aside the last bit of brush to reveal the crashed starfighter. The hull was purely silver, and there were only a few darker, almost hazel, spots, signaling the position of the squadron leader. She popped open the canopy, revealing the skeleton of the commander. However, a fusioncutter and his jumpsuit were still intact. Upon further searching, Kiray discovered spare bolts of fabric, which was rather odd, along with spare marks of ranking and clan, which Kiray had no use for.

She took the fusioncutter, jumpsuit, a bolt of fabric and a commander mark before arraying the items around her. The fusioncutter melted out sections of the silver hull, and Kiray carefully laid the metal in her fashion on the pilot's jumpsuit, and carefully melted the edges of the metal to a fine sheen as it fused to the jumpsuit. The back plates were glued in a similar manner, and Kiray tossed the fusioncutter aside.

Unrolling the bolt of fabric, Kiray found a sharp rock and jaggedly cut the outline of a robe, shaping it around the armor. With the Force, Kiray trimmed away the jagged edges and meshed the edge into the robe to hem it. She had to dig around for the fusioncutter as she decided that she wanted a commander mark after all, and she fused it cleanly to the left sleeve of the robe.

Kiray lowered the fusioncutter as she looked down at the armored robes. With careful hands, she infused everything she felt right now, being free from the gaping maw caused by the atrocity of Malachor V, into her armor, binding it to her soul, or whatever was left of it, and, when she was done, she carefully held it up.

The starlight glittered on the armor plate, the darker gray lines streaking down the chest and to about mid-calf. The jumpsuit, as well as the robe, were a dusty blue-gray, and the metal-sheathed gauntlets and boots were a final touch that gave Kiray the calm and peace of mind to slowly, lovingly, don the armor.

It fit her perfectly, and Kiray could feel the warmth of the Force that she had infused gliding across the surface. She stood, and the robe fluttered out behind her in a pool of ocean blue before settling about her legs. Kiray straightened, and she remembered the words that she had heard as she passed out on the deck of her flagship those years ago.

_The sleeper must awaken, Kiray. It is the only way._

_The sleeper must awaken._

She stared up at the sky, remembering the voice being her father's, his final words to her as he died on Malachor V. Tears stinging her eyes once more, Kiray shouted, "Father! The sleeper has awakened!"

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**A/N:** The Litany against Fear is entirely from Dune, and I used it as inspiration. Kiray's final line is also from Dune, which I totally don't own. If I did, I wouldn't be here, now would I?


	29. To Onderon

CHAPTER XXVIII: To Onderon

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Atton shot straight up when he heard a yell from the surrounding jungle; at first, he almost dismissed it as a maalraas or boma, but then he thought about it again as he tried to fall asleep. It had been hard, but also joyous, in a manner. Something told him that there was someone coming, and when he expanded his senses to figure out who, he felt a bright beacon of light, far brighter than any sun. Atton scrabbled out of bed, belting his blasters and lightsabers onto his armor before trooping out into the cool night.

He wasn't alone; Kahned, Mira, Lonna Vash, Visas, and the handmaiden were standing out on the brink of the forest, watching and waiting. Atton sidled up to the Jedi Master and asked, "Who's coming?"

"I don't know," she whispered in reply, awe evident in her voice, "but there has been no one as strong in the light that I have felt since Revan herself. We shall have to see."

"Whoever it is, he's only a few meters away," Mira muttered, knowing on instinct who it could possibly be, but not saying outwardly. Atton looked over at her in interest, and Mira shrugged, saying, "Hunter's intuition. Now shut up; we're about to have company."

The sun started rising as a few branches crackled in approach. Atton could make out flashes of blue and silver as he tried to make out who it was, but he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. Visas struggled also to keep her sight focused on this newcomer; it was as bright as a star, or sun, and strong as the Force itself. Kahned simply stood, nearly unaware of his compatriots' awe.

The sun burst over the horizon, and, in a blaze of golden-silver light, Kiray appeared. The wind that had come up blew back her new robes, snapping them in the breeze. A smile was etched deeply into her face, and her eyes echoed the sun's glow, giving their amber light a blinding golden sheen. Her brown hair was unmoved, save her bangs, as she walked forward boldly, into the midst of her friends.

Behind them, the other Mandalorians had started waking up, and seeing Kiray garbed and lit like a goddess of the sun made them stand in awe and almost threw themselves down to her feet in worship. Mandalore appeared from his HQ, and if he hadn't been wearing his helm, Kiray would have sworn that his jaw would've been hanging open.

"Kir..." Atton muttered, walking towards her, "you look so...so..."

"Divine?" Kahned chuckled, earning himself a glare from Atton. Kiray smiled and carefully caressed Atton's face, looking into his deep brown eyes. Atton couldn't keep her gaze in focus, it was so bright, so beautiful that he couldn't even describe it; divine could only barely cover such beauty.

Kiray stepped away from him as Mandalore strolled up. He looked her up and down, and nodded. "Impressive. Very impressive. Normally it takes a few weeks for a successful _gai bal manda_, but you finished within a night. That is amazing."

"It certainly is, isn't it?" Kiray replied, looking down at her tanned skin and remembering the terrifying echo; how long would it take for it to return? She shook the thought away as she said, "Well, I guess we're ready to head for Onderon, right? You did say once I came back we'd be underway."

"Right, right," Mandalore said. "Well, it's going to take awhile to power up the shuttle. Your effects are in my quarters; I locked them up kinda tight, so don't be surprised if you can't unlock them."

"No problem!" Atton broke in with a grin, "I can open anything with a wave of my hand." He dramatically waved his hand, and, quite suddenly, a locker behind him opened up. Atton spun around in surprise and muttered, "Damn, I'm good."

"Sure you are," Kiray replied, tossing a wink over to the cloaked Goto. "C'mon, stop playing around, hotshot, we gotta find my lightsaber."

"Okay," he shrugged, and he found himself being dragged towards the HQ without seeing Goto. Everyone laughed as Atton yelled and tried to free himself from Goto's grasp. The droid revealed himself and growled quite coldly, "If you did not struggle so, I would let you go without repercussions."

Atton chuckled hollowly before tugging his shoulder from the claw hold, and he trooped into Mandalore's HQ looking humiliated. Everyone else could not suppress laughter, and Mira was laughing so hard that she was rolling on the dew covered grass.

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Mandalore looked over the shuttle, turning to Zuka. "I want her ready within the hour to fly to Iziz."

"Easy enough Mandalore," Zuka confirmed, saluting before climbing into the shuttle to do the preflight checks. Mandalore sighed and turned to see a black-robed figure, the same that had commed him a day before the arrival of the _Ebon Hawk_. He smiled to himself as he remembered a few good times on that old boat, but brought himself back to the present as the robed figure spoke ominously low.

"I trust everything is going to plan?"

"Yeah, but don't think that I'm happy about tricking one of my own like this. She's officially part of Clan Ordo now, and _my_ responsibility." Mandalore tried to see past the raised cowl, but only making out a pair of glowing red eyes, almost reminiscent of Malak's.

"The deception is necessary. But you should be wary of your loyalties and trusts; a trusted second can easily stab you in the back as you can recruit them."

"Oh, yeah?" Mandalore challenged gruffly, "See Kex over there? He was muscle on Nar Shaddaa before I brought him here. Zuka was a drone ship maintenance officer before I found him. I trust them with my life, as much as they trust me. I rescued them from living hells, gave them purpose again!"

The cloaked figure chuckled and replied, "I am not talking of the present, although seeing you carrying out Revan's orders is a warm reminder to me that you were once bound to her."

"How did you know?!" Mandalore hissed. Virtually no one knew that he'd once been one of Revan's companions during the end of the Jedi Civil War, not even that thrice-blasted Republic. The figure simply chuckled again.

"Show her the same loyalty as you did to Revan, and we will see just how far you can go."

Before he could draw any sort of weapons to kill the mysterious person, he vanished, leaving Mandalore only with his rage for comfort.

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The shuttle trip to Iziz was uneventful, causing Kiray to think on her travail in the jungle. So far, she hadn't sensed the return of her wound, but she knew that it was still there, if not a little bit weaker. She knew that it could hurt her or her companions at any given moment, as the happenings on Goto's yacht had revealed, which meant she had to constantly be on guard against it.

_Maybe I should only accept the fact that it is there, but it has absolutely no power over me. Maybe it will think twice before assaulting me again...no. Don't think in maybes and what ifs. That leads to doubt, and doubt leads to fear. You know what happens if you get afraid._

Kiray just stopped thinking right then and there, rather gazing out at the passing city below. Iziz was made out of a beautiful sandstone with red accents, and the walls surrounding it were more than five meters tall.

"I have a contact here that could give a help in finding your Jedi Master," Mandalore said after they had docked, "A doctor, by the name of Dhagon Ghent. He lives on the other side of the Market Square, and he's been a good help to me and my men for quite some time now.

"It might be best if you do the talking," he continued to Kiray, who was only half-listening, "since the Onderonians aren't especially friendly to us Mandalorians, and you're not that obvious as one of us."

"It's a true fact," Mira said, who'd hitched a ride because she'd never been to Iziz before. Kiray nodded and looked around blankly. She could feel the wound returning, slowly, yes, but surely nonetheless. Mira put a hand on Kiray's shoulder and shook her a little. "Hey, Kir, you awake in there?"

"Yeah, I'm – I'm fine," Kiray said. She felt it in full strength now, and it was laughing, long and low. Mira could barely pick up on Kiray's odd behavior, but she knew there was something wrong.

"Kir, whatever it is, ignore it. We've got things to do, people to see...say, how many credits do we have?" Mira delved her hands into Kiray's pockets, who came to quickly and snatched at it, but missed as Mira looked at the credit account.

"Force-loved bantha poodoo!" Mira cried in amazement. Kiray grabbed the datapad and stuffed it back into a pocket as Mira whispered, "Ten thousand credits??!! We've picked up that much?! This almost calls for a shopping spree, I could use a new pair of blasters..."

"Mira, the point we are here is not to go shopping, all right? We're supposed to go find a Jedi master and send him to Dantooine. If, and only if, we have enough time, then we can go shopping. Deal?" Kiray stuck her hand out to the bounty huntress, who took it with a nod.

"Right, gotta prioritize. Master, shopping, swoop racing; master, shopping, swoop racing." Mira chanted that for a bit as the three of them emerged in the main hangar area. A port official stopped them however, giving Kiray a starport visa and filling them in on current events and such. Mira dragged Kiray over to an Aqualish merchant, and the Mandalorian-in-hiding reluctantly bought Mira a new pair of blasters. They started walking towards the exit, and were stopped by a guard.

"Hold it right there, spacer! I need to ask you a few questions before you go into the city," the guard started, seeming to try not to snap his blaster rifle in their direction, "What is your business in Iziz: business or pleasure?"

Kiray rolled her eyes and quietly nudged at the guard's mind through the Force. "You don't need to ask me any questions," she said, slightly waving her hand and waiting for the trick to take effect. The guard's eyes glazed over as the trick worked.

""I don't need to ask you any questions," he echoed, stepping aside, "Enjoy your stay in Iziz, and don't lose your starport visa!" Kiray gave him a nod and a wink at Mira and Mandalore before going through the narrow passageway that led to the Market Square.


	30. Premonition and Suspicion

CHAPTER XXIX: Premonition and Suspicion

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Kiray, Mira, and Mandalore crossed the Market Square without too many nasty encounters; the first had been talking down a trio of General Vaklu's soldiers from beating up a journalist with the HoloNet news network in Iziz. Next, a man named Panlar tried to start a riot, in which he tried to get Kiray to declare which Onderonian ruler she trusted: Queen Talia, the rightful heiress to the throne, or General Vaklu. Kiray diplomatically avoided any confrontation, and Panlar's attempt at a protest was quickly broken up before it got out of hand. The third and final encounter had actually happened quite by accident; a Twi'lek and a Devaronian were arguing between the pros and cons of Talia and Vaklu. Kiray had heard out both of them, and when they asked her own opinion, Kiray staunchly supported Talia.

"That was a smart move," Mira commented as the two debaters headed off for the cantina while they maneuvered towards the Western Square, "That might've gotten nasty with either of them had those Jedi diplomacy skills kept them cool."

"I just stated my opinion. No diplomacy required," Kiray replied as they emerged in the Western Square. Before coming out into the Square proper, however, a Rodian bounty hunter appeared, with a few thugs, to claim the bounty on Kiray's head.

"I thought Goto had decided to pull back the bounty on you," Mira wondered over the roars of blasterfire. Both Kiray and Mandalore were deep in the melee, and they didn't hear her. Mira sighed before blasting a bounty hunter coming right at her in the face, shouting, "SHE'S MINE, YA IDIOTS! SHE'S UNDER MY PROTECTION!"

"I don't think they're listening, Mira!" Kiray shouted back as she neatly ran through two bounty hunters in one sleek movement. Mandalore chuckled to himself as they both easily maimed the last bounty hunter, and they continued on their way.

Mandalore took the lead in the square itself, crossing in front of the cantina and several groups of salvagers before rapping smartly on a door. A single panel popped open, and a bald-headed man with annoyed brown-blue eyes stuck his head out of the door, but his annoyance was replaced with cheeriness and hospitality. "Mandalore! Hey, good ta see ya." He spoke in a rough, Onderonian accent, and Kiray wasn't surprised when Mandalore clapped a friendly hand on the man's shoulder.

"It's good to see you too, Dhagon," Mandalore replied as the doctor opened his door the whole way. Dhagon Ghent was slight of build, barely as tall as Mira, but the air he possessed made him seem taller.

"C'mon in, c'mon in," Dhagon invited, and the trio crossed the threshold. Kiray saw the few kolto tanks to one wall, a few operating tables opposite them, and a lab station at the back. Mira looked around in interest as Dhagon drew up a few chairs and brought out a few glasses and a bottle of Whyren's Reserve Corellian whisky. He set these out at the table, and set a couple of packets to the side of two glasses. "The packets have got behot in 'em, in case you want something more of a punch. I like mine straight up."

"You are truly missing out, Dhagon," Mandalore sighed, pouring out some of the whisky into his own glass and adding the behot. Kiray also sat and waited for the bottle to reach her before pouring herself some and adding behot to her own. Mira passed on the whisky, but instead withdrew a small flask of what appeared to be juma.

"Don't tell me you raided Atton's stash?!" Kiray asked in disbelief as Mira poured the pale liquid into her own glass. Mira just grinned in reply as she swirled her drink around and gulped it down in one go. Kiray took a cautious sip of the behot-enhanced whisky, and was well surprised; the whisky retained its woody flavor, and the citrus splash provided by the behot adding a nice, invigorating kick.

Everyone's gaze latched to Mandalore; any man who bore the title made it common practice to never reveal his face in public, and this Mandalore was privy to tradition. He lightly tugged the helm upward, revealing no skin whatsoever, and carefully drinking a sip of his own drink. Ghent only took a small sip before setting down his glass.

"So, eh, is there a partic'lar reason that you and yer pretty friends have come to stop by? Otherwise these are the only drinks yer getting," Ghent asked once all the glasses were set down. Mira looked to Kiray, who looked at Mandalore. The masked warrior looked at Kiray and reluctantly hmphed.

"Dhagon, we've got a favor to ask."

"Fire away, Mandalore."

"We need to contact someone in the Palace, a Jedi Master –"

"Named Kavar," Kiray added, remembering T3's list of the Masters. Kiray couldn't help feeling a pang of regret at saying the name; Kavar had taught her, and taught her well, raising Kiray to Knight status in a span of two years. Then the wars started. Kiray turned her back on the Order, and knew that she'd probably ashamed Kavar in doing so. _Perhaps I can apologize to him when we meet._

"Jedi Master, ya say?" Ghent said with interest, taking a larger gulp of whiskey, "Well, I'd sure love ta help you guys out, but there's a slight problem..."

"What, does there always have to be some kind of adverse development anywhere we go?" Mira muttered, pouring herself some more juma, and even adding a light sprinkle of behot at Kiray's request. Ghent smiled sheepishly.

"Well, my clinic got raided a few nights ago by some Beast-riders, and they made off with my contact list," Ghent explained apologetically. "Without those holodisks, you're outta luck in findin' yer Jedi Master."

"Who stole the disks?" Mira asked, her chin balanced on her fist. Kiray smiled at the hunter's returning determination from the sudden return of her reflexes as a slave. She knew Mira had the confidence and drive to make an excellent Jedi someday; that day had not yet come however. Maybe if she asked about her past a bit more...

"I'm pretty sure it was Bakkel's gang," Dhagon replied, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "They usually hang around the cantina. If you three could get my holodisks back, maybe we can arrange a meeting with this Kavar fellow."

"You have deal, Doctor," Kiray agreed, and the two shook hands before they left the office, and finishing their drinks.

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"And there's absolutely no way that you're going to just hand over those disks?" Kiray asked one final time to the redheaded Beast-rider. Bakkel grinned involuntarily and shook her head. Kiray sighed and turned to Mandalore and Mira. Just barely, behind the tinted translucent mask, Mandalore was smiling broadly; Mira had that steel in her eye that meant she was ready to fight. Kiray gave Mira a small nod and edged a Trandoshan double-blade into her hands. Mira quietly holstered her blasters as Kiray turned back to face Bakkel.

"We could've done this an easy way, by letting me pay you for the disks," Kiray explained to a rather stunned Bakkel, "but you just had to go and pick the hard way." Kiray activated her gleaming cyan lightsaber, the bright blades casting an eerie glow over Bakkel's shocked features as she drew rather flimsy blades. The other members of her gang readied their own weapons, and Mira and Mandalore leaped at them, bashing away at their fancy armor. All Kiray had to do in her brief fight against Bakkel was fire up a controlled storm of Force lightning, and Bakkel was out for the count.

Mira, although barely as well-versed as either Mandalorian in melee combat, held her own against Bakkel's poorly trained group of thugs. She only used the double-blade as a last resort, punching, kicking, and biting her way to victory. Several times, with Kiray backing up with several waves of Force energy, several thugs were pinned to the walls, and Mira didn't stop herself from running them through, although the common pit in her stomach that appeared whenever she killed had risen into her chest.

When the three of them decided to gang up on the last of Bakkel's gang, he threw down his words and ran as fast as he could out of the cantina. Mira almost ran after him, but Kiray's calm hand on her shoulder held her back, and the nod to Mandalore sent him jogging off after the thug. "Check for the disks, and anything else this lot might have of value," Kiray ordered, kneeling down next to Bakkel's corpse. Mira raised an eyebrow at Kiray's sudden coldness and crossed her arms.

"What's with the ordering around? I didn't think you'd start going back to your military style, seeing as you're a Jedi, although also an ex-general," Mira commented, staying right where she was. Kiray instantly got the feeling that Mira wasn't going to give up without an answer, and she rocked back on her heels.

"Mira, listen to me, and listen very closely. When I was younger, I was taught by a great Master of the Order. He was kind, and took all my fumblings in good stride, whether it be language barriers or a messy lightsaber form. When I left to join Revan, I feel like I let my Master down in some way. By doing this, in the most general sense, I can apologize for running off when I know I wasn't ready. The sooner it's done, the better I feel." Mira blinked as Kiray rummaged through the belt on Bakkel's armor, and smiling to herself when she found Dhagon's holodisks, and, a bit to her surprise, a blank starport visa.

"Was your Master this Kavar person we're looking for?" Mira asked, removing the barely-scored armor of one of the dead thugs. Kiray silently nodded as she recovered a few blasters and scrounging several slim credits. Mira frowned as she stood, hands on hips. "Maybe later, you tell me more. If you're lucky...I might reconsider that offer of yours."

Kiray's head snapped up at that, and a sly half-smile lit her face. "Mira, I can already tell. You've been training yourself somehow. Is it Visas and that handmaiden who've been telling you things?"

"No," Mira replied as they walked through the cantina, "I watch them, and then Brianna – that's the handmaiden's name – she caught me replaying the moves, and she...showed me some pointers."

"She's been teaching you Echani combat?" Kiray asked in interest. Kiray now saw the little handmaiden, Brianna, in an entirely new light. _Maybe she can teach me some of her tricks. Could be handy in a fight._ "Who else has she been teaching?"

Mira started ticking names off on her fingers. "There's Atton, amazingly, Bao-Dur has an interest, the Miraluka very obviously, and your brother."

_Kahned? I know he has a romantic interest in Brianna, but learning Echani technique? He wouldn't go that far under pressure, and he isn't under any._ Kiray frowned at this implication, and they continued on in silence as they recrossed the Western Square, finding Mandalore along the way, and returning to Dhagon's clinic.

"Hey, ya got my disks back!" he smiled as Kiray produced the small circular pieces of plastic. Dhagon glanced them over, checking to make sure they had been sliced and nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, Ghent? Are you going to call your contacts in the Palace?" Kiray asked icily, crossing her arms. Mira couldn't help but see that her military work had indeed started inching out; maybe it was knowing that her rank was back on her shoulder or something.

Dhagon smiled, but not so very solidly, and replied, "'Course, 'course. It'll take awhile, so I suggest you get comfy. Who knows when yer Jedi Master'll emerge, or even if he will?" Kiray rolled her eyes and decided to get some rest as Dhagon switched on his holonet receiver.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_It was entirely dark; Kiray couldn't see a thing. It surrounded everything, festering and infecting anything that tried to touch it. _

_Suddenly, there was a blaze of blue light, the wielder a lean, fair-skinned woman who glowed in the Force like no other Kiray had seen. Her black hair fell into her eyes, a deep navy blue, and her parchment robes snapped as she spun and twisted, slashing at the darkness. Kiray had only seen one other fight like this before: Revan._

_Revan, however, wasn't infallible; the darkness found weaknesses, openings in her form, and exploited them to its advantage. Revan recoiled at every strike the darkness made, and, eventually, her bright aura dimmed, and the darkness prepared to engulf Revan in its cold embrace..._

_Kiray was temporarily blinded as a second, far brighter haze of light appeared, wearing dusky blue robes over silvery-gray armor, the clear blue lightsaber in her hand glowing as bright as a star itself. This newcomer pulled Revan from the darkness's grasp, and Revan's gleam returned, and with their combined glow, the two smiled, lightsabers ready, and stood back to back, prepared to fight the growing dark..._

Kiray sat up straight at the buzzing of her comlink. It was barely light out, and the dream...Kiray rubbed the sleep from her eyes and picked up the comlink.

"Kir, it's me."

"Atton? What're you doin' calling so early?"

"It ain't early here, sweetheart. But something odd is going on..."

"What is it? Has HK decided to go off and stun every Mandalorian in the camp?"

"No. It's Kahned. He keeps wandering off into the jungle at night, alone, and he usually doesn't show up 'til early in the morning."

"And this is my concern why?"

"I followed him last night. Kir, it's a tomb, but it reeks like the Nar Shaddaa sewers on any day. And if I stretch out those senses you've helped me out with...well, it feels..._off_."

"What else?" Kiray asked, this time more concerned. If Kahned was going off into a dark-side saturated tomb, that could be bad; who knew what a Mandalorian who wasn't even remotely aware of the Force would find deep in the catacombs?

"Well, I followed him in, even though it still felt wrong all over, and, when he reached this big ol' chamber with some kind of reflecting pool, he just knelt down and meditated. He's the weird part: it was like the Force converged right there, and then this ghost appeared! You won't believe who it was..."

"Who, Atton? This is not sounding good..."

"The witch, what's-her-name...Kreia, right?"

Kiray froze. She'd skimmed Kreia's surface thoughts, briefly, on Telos before her death, and the one time the witch had come back seemed like Kreia wasn't ready to go...had the witch decided to exercise her most likely insidious will on her brother? If so, to what end?

"Thanks for the alert, Atton."

"Want me to do anything on it?"

"Nothing yet. But keep an eye on him; if he tries, or does, anything funny, we all confront him and get answers. See you."

"See ya." The comlink clicked off, and Kiray buried her face in her hands. Too many things on her mind...it was impossible to organize which was more important. She listened to Mira's soft snoring, and relaxed enough to lay things in order: meet Kavar, find the last Master and explore two more worlds, both ones that Revan had walked upon in her day, save the galaxy from the new Sith threat, find Revan. Maybe somewhere in there Kiray could fit in _find out what brother was doing in dark-side tomb_, if she was lucky.

The sun had risen when Kiray emerged from the refresher to find Mira and Mandalore just waking up. The bounty hunter's hair was a messy red halo, and her green eyes were bleary with sleep. Mandalore, as always, had his armor on tight, not to reveal what state he was in. Ghent emerged, his bald head a little sweaty and clothing somewhat disheveled, but neat-ish.

"Well, yer all set!" he greeted as Mira fumbled around for her weaponry. "He'll be meetin' ya in the cantina soon as yer ready. Good luck, the three of ya, maybe I'll see ya again sometime, eh?"

"Depends," Kiray replied brightly, and she, Mandalore, and a moaning and yawning Mira left Dhagon Ghent's office.


	31. From Onderon

CHAPTER XXX: From Onderon

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"Kavar! It's so good to see you again!" Kiray cried when she saw her old Master. Kavar, a towering man with dirty blond, curled hair, stoically accepted Kiray's hug of greeting before stepping back to survey his old apprentice.

"You've certainly grown much, Kiray, from when I last saw you," Kavar commented, lightly ruffling Kiray's slowly lengthening hair. "You used to keep this military short, but it looks nice slightly grown out. But I doubt you called me out of my own exile to recall old times."

"Kavar," Mandalore rumbled, nodding in admiration, "the legendary Jedi Guardian. I wonder how the war would have turned had _you_ led the Jedi, rather than Revan."

"Not much, I'm sorry to say," Kavar replied before commenting, "You certainly keep strange company nowadays, Kiray."

"Strange situations often call for strange companions," Kiray remarked quickly, "Master, maybe we should find someplace quiet to talk. Mira, Mandalore, watch for anyone, or anything, suspicious that might come our way."

Kiray's friends quickly obliged, taking posts in different parts of the cantina. Mira was stationed near Ghent's pazaak-playing friend Nikko, quietly assuading his askances for a game without sacrificing any of the large stash of credits that they had. Mandalore was over by the bar, near the beast-rider den where they had removed Bakkel. Both watched the door surreptitiously, and without suspicion from any other patron.

Kiray and Kavar settled in a booth towards the rear of the cantina, between Mira and Mandalore, and Kavar wasted no time in asking, "What do you need to say, Kiray? I am afraid we don't have much time." Kiray took a deep breath before saying:

"Master, I'm sorry I ran off to fight with Revan; doing that is part of the reason why I'm what I am now. I know I disappointed you in some way or another, but I know you and the other Masters of the Council had your reasons for exiling me. I know that you know about the echo within me, and I know it was caused by Malachor. But why was I exiled?"

"Kiray, there is one thing you must understand; most of us didn't want to exile you; everyone except Vrook and Atris were ready to nominate you to become a Master, even though you had not trained an apprentice yet. But then we felt the gaping wound. Atris claimed it was of the dark side; the rest of us had no idea of what it was. I know for certain that I and Lonna Vash believed that you would return someday. Vrook and Zez-Kai might have had an inkling, but Atris...she was hoping to never find you again."

"I found her, actually...in a rather long and backwards sort of way," Kiray shrugged a bit with a sheepish smile. Kavar nodded, and was about to continue talking when a long stream of thundering footsteps entered the cantina and headed their way. Kiray and Kavar both quickly stood up, Mira coming in on Kiray's other side and Mandalore flanking Kavar just as a troop of Vaklu soldiers appeared around to their side of the cantina, led by a man outfitted in bronzium light battle armor. The foursome stood in a small circle as the Vaklu troopers ringed them, and the armored man stood before the two obvious Jedi.

"Well, well. Kavar himself, and the Jedi Exile to boot!" the armored man crowed, strutting before the foursome. Kiray rolled her eyes, mentally recognizing the voice as Colonel Tobin. She watched as Tobin circled the four of them for a short moment before continuing, "General Vaklu is certain to reward me well when I remove the both of you. You, exile, will not leave Iziz alive."

"Tobin, before I really show you the door," Kiray growled, eyes narrow and rolling up her sleeves, "I'd like to say one thing: you never, _ever_, call me 'exile'; either you call me by my name or as a Jedi, _never_ exile." Kiray started moving to beat the crap out of Tobin, but Kavar had his own plans. Kiray sensed him gathering the Force to him, and the collection of troopers Tobin had brought with him began wavering as if stunned.

"Go, Kiray! If I need your assistance, I will call you!" Kavar shouted, running past an amazed Tobin and an on-the-verge-of-tears Kiray and vanishing as he left the cantina. Tobin shook himself out of his reverie and moved to go after Kavar. Kiray, tears silently running, grabbed the collar of Tobin's armor and clocked him full with a roundhouse punch, breaking the colonel's nose and thoroughly knocking him out cold.

"Y'know there're a bunch of civilians in here," Mira said, getting her swords ready, "We'll have to be careful; unless you aren't so caring anymore?"

"Don't kid with me like that, Mira! I don't want any of these civilians killed, whether by Vaklu's guns or ours, got it?" Kiray ordered, preparing her lightsaber and Force lightning crackling around her fist. Mandalore quickly drew his swords and ran at an awakening trio of Vaklu soldiers, followed closely by Mira. Kiray shot a few streams of continuous electricity at another group before striking down with her shining cyan lightsaber, forcing her gathered storm downward. It caused a seismic shock that killed every man in the small cluster, and stunning five a few feet away.

Causing a few patrons to scream in fear was the worst that happened to the civilians as Kiray, Mira, and Mandalore removed the Vaklu soldiers from the cantina. The cantina's proprieter stopped them just before they left, but before he could speak, Kiray palmed him two hundred credits and muttered, "Sorry for the mess," before leaving, followed by very long stares.

Within the Western Square, there were no more than fifteen single Vaklu troopers; Kiray and Mandalore each earned seven, while Mira, who had helped remove some of the first fourteen, entirely killed one. After recovering credits, blasters, and very many grenades and rockets to replenish Mira's stock, they quickly crossed into the Merchant Quarter.

"What's been going on in the Western Square?" one royalist soldier asked as they passed by the entrance to the Sky Ramp. "We lost contact –"

"Vaklu troopers. They started attacking us when Tobin tried to apprehend myself and a friend of the Queen's," Kiray explained quickly. "Right now, we need to get back to our shuttle. Can you guarantee protection for myself and my friends if anyone, or anything, attacks us?"

The soldier wavered for a moment, but a captain appeared from behind him and responded to Kiray, "Yes, Madam Jedi, we'll get you to the spaceport as safely as possible. Please, follow me." Kiray nodded to the captain in thanks and quickly followed him, Mira and Mandalore jogging to keep up with their long strides. A few unruly-looking people watched them pass, and Kiray had a feeling that, if the good captain hadn't been there, they might have decided to stir up some trouble.

Suddenly, as they were going by the defense turrets, a few blaster bolts sizzled past. Kiray's fast saber work shot the bolt right back to the turret, disabling it without hefty damage, and, after quickly drawing one of her pistols, shot out the other five, along with two mounted on the towers flanking the entrance to the spaceport.

"I guess you didn't really need an escort, now didja?" the captain asked cheerily as Kiray quickly flashed her starport visa at the gate guard, who rapidly cleared her at the sight of her still-ready lightsaber.

"Actually, if you hadn't been with us, a few of those crowds might've taken a swing at us," Mira said as Kiray waited for them to finish up. "But thanks anyways." Mandalore quickly nodded, and they pretty much ran all the way back to the shuttle, and flew as quickly as possible back to Dxun. But as Kiray watched the Palace shrink below them, she thought, _Master, I wish I could have done more. I failed you again. When you call me, I will not fail to answer. I refuse to fail again, my true Master._

The strangest thing, right then, was the soft, comforting feeling. Kiray smiled as she heard Kavar's voice say softy, _You have never failed me, Kiray, and your determination has always amazed me. Don't despair, never give up, and wait until you are ready._

_Thank you, Master. For everything._

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**A/N**: (looks out from behind computer guiltily) Yes, I know it's been longer than normal. Family emergency cropped up. Don't ask, don't tell. Kind of a short chapter, but as much as I love Onderon and Dxun, I really want to move on. Major fun things coming...Mical and Korriban, with Revan, too...;). –KA.


	32. Rescue and Love

CHAPTER XXXI: Rescue and Love

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Once they had landed, all Kiray could think about was getting back to the _Hawk_ and sleeping for a week. Mira looked just as tired, and, as always, Mandalore couldn't be seen of whether he was tired or not.

"Kir! You're back!" Atton shouted when he saw the three of them emerge from the hangar. He ran forward and swept Kiray into a joyous hug. She laughed as she was twirled around, and when she was settled back on her feet. Kiray felt Atton come close...she pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Not yet, hotshot," Kiray muttered, seeing Mira's astonished look. Atton's half-closed eyes widened as he pulled back, blushing furiously. Mira was trying not to laugh, her hand covering the growing smirk on her face. Mandalore strolled up to Kiray and Atton, and Kiray knew that he was most likely grinning insanely behind that mask.

"So...you think you could fit an old war dog onto your ship? I wouldn't mind seeing some more of the galaxy before I get too old," he asked. Kiray looked at him in surprise, but nodded all the same. _Maybe he also has his own reservations...reservations on a certain person we both know._ Kiray knew that Atton had something important to tell her about Kahned, so they would have to return to the _Ebon Hawk _quickly before speaking...privately.

"Sure. You're more than welcome to join us, as long as the ship's gotten patched up," Kiray remarked. Mandalore shrugged and went to gather together his possessions, which weren't much. By the time he was packed, Kiray, Mira, and Atton were already back on the ship.

"It's good to be back!" Mira sighed as she stretched herself out on a couch in the main hold. T3 twittered incessantly as he chased circles around Kiray's feet, proud that his master had returned...HK was not so thrilled, but pleased just the same. Lonna greeted Kiray with a smile, as did Kahned. Brianna nodded shortly to Kiray, as did Visas, and Kiray could hear the Miraluka's soft whisper:

"My life...for yours."

Bao-Dur was nowhere to be seen, which worried Kiray. Normally, he would be tinkering pleasantly at something, but he wasn't in the garage as he normally was. Kiray wandered around the ship as Mira related their adventures in Iziz, trying to find any sign of Bao, or his remote.

Kiray soon found him, hidden away in a dormitory. He was sprawled out on a bed, staring at the ceiling. The tiny remote hovered near his shoulder, humming softly.

"Bao-Dur?" Kiray asked from the doorway. "Is everything all right?"

"Fine." Kiray raised an eyebrow at the simple, direct answer, and the brusqueness in which it was delivered. _That's not like him, not by a longshot._

"You sure? You don't look all right."

"I am. Please, General, just leave me alone." Bao-Dur rolled over, showing his back to Kiray. She sighed and touched his shoulder, trying to get him to face her.

"This isn't nothing, Bao. I can tell. Unless you want me to try and dig what it is out of you, you might as well talk."

"There's nothing to talk about. Now, please go away."

"No."

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Kiray staggered back at Bao-Dur's yell, and the chatting from the main hold was swiftly silenced. Bao sat up, and Kiray was afraid at the yellowed eyes that stared at her, the red-and-black tattoos that did not belong on her friend's face. He stood, and Kiray tried to step back, running into a wall.

"Can't you just let me be?" he growled, walking closer to her. "I see the fear in you, General. You're not who you once were."

"Bao, what're you saying? This isn't like you...why are you mad at me?" Kiray found that she couldn't move...it was as if her feet were glued in place as the angry Zabrak drew threateningly closer.

"Bao-Dur, stop!"

He kept coming...

"BAO! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!"

Bao-Dur stopped midstride, frozen in place. Kiray stared at her friend before asking, "Why? What has caused this change in you? I have done nothing to do this to you!"

"_You are one of them..._" he hissed. Kiray frowned.

"I thought we'd gotten over the fact I was Mandalorian." Kiray unglued herself from the wall, eyebrows furrowed. She sensed something was out of place here...and it wasn't the cluster of Atton, Mira, and HK just around the corridor. Kiray very slowly followed the Force-bond she had with Bao-Dur, and felt a dark presence clouding his judgment...but only on the surface.

Kiray mentally plied at the darkness as she spoke, "Bao, you know this is not you. You don't hate me; you could never hate me. We've been through too much together. Let go of this hatred within you...release yourself from its grip."

"Can't..." he muttered, horned head bowed, "too...too strong."

"Not with me around." Kiray threw herself at the darkness dominating Bao-Dur, finding its edges and peeling it back. As she worked at it, the dark wound hissed in pain. Kiray sensed Atton throwing in his own support, ripping at another edge. Brianna's force presence appeared, along with Visas's and Lonna Vash's, and the wound screamed in agony as, when a final, mysterious Force-being appeared to throw in strength of its own, the hold on Bao-Dur broke, and the poor Zabrak fell to the floor, exhausted. Kiray leaned over to catch her breath, but looked at Bao-Dur, watching as his face returned to normal.

"Thanks, General," Bao-Dur murmured, looking up at Kiray. "I – I don't know what came over me."

"Get some rest; I'll make sure you're not disturbed." Kiray slowly stood erect as Bao-Dur climbed back onto his bed. She closed the door and glanced down at the sitting forms of Atton and Mira, with HK looking between her and them.

"Confused Query: Master, did something related to this meatbag power that Jedi meatbags like yourself use just occur? That would explain the immense fatigue that you, the pilot meatbag, and the bounty hunter meatbag are experiencing."

"HK," Atton breathed, "for once, can't you just shut up?" HK's photoreceptors darkened subtly before the assassin droid turned on his heel and strode away, mumbling to himself. Kiray glanced down at Atton and Mira and nodded at them.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say you two are probably Jedi Knights by now, good and proper. Brianna, too." Atton looked at his now-former Master in confusion.

"All right...is there some kind of ceremony or something, us being real Jedi now?" he asked, his sarcasm thick. Kiray rolled her eyes and shook her head. They slowly got up, and Mira made her way back to the small storage compartment.

"Kir...there's somethin' else I oughta tell you about..."

"Yes, Atton?" She watched him, shuffling his feet and hands in pockets. He glanced up guiltily through his unruly bangs. _It's not about Kahned...it's something else._

"Kir, there's...there's a lot that's happened over these past months that we've knuckled through, usually by the skin of our teeth. I...I don't want to lose you. There's this feeling I get whenever I think about what's going to happen...Kir, I feel like..."

"Atton, please," Kiray said, "I know how you feel...whenever I think about what's coming next...I can't see past the next day. I can't even envision what'll happen within the rest of the whole day. But I do know...no matter what happens...Atton Rand, I love you. Really, truly, and completely." She strode close to him, looking up into his brown eyes and holding the lapels of his barely-visible jacket under his armor.

"No matter how screwed up I am?"

"No matter how screwed up you are," Kiray replied with a nod, and, slowly, she pulled him down and met his lips, exchanging her passion, her love, so broadly that she lost herself in the moment...every passing second was like an eternity.

And Atton never left their sweet embrace. It was as if two beings, in perfect accord, had found each other in what could only be described as true love.

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Filler, yes. I've been avoiding the Kiray/Atton love bit for a long while, so might as well do it before doing...other things. happy grin Review, please. I'll love ya if ya do.


	33. Interlude I

CHAPTER XXXII: Interlude, part I

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Kiray sighed as she made her way towards the main hold. She was very tired, and all she wanted to do was fall asleep on the co-pilot's chair until they reached Dantooine. Although she had never been to the Academy there, she had heard a lot about it on Coruscant. The fact that Revan had trained there, twice, made Kiray pause in wonder at why a Jedi Master would still be there. _At least Zez-Kai will be somewhere..._

"Kiray." She stopped and turned to see Brianna, the handmaiden, standing there with some form of concern on her face. Kiray frowned as she nodded for her to continue. "There is something we must discuss. Privately." At this, Brianna gave wary glances to Mandalore and Goto, neither of whom were paying attention. Mira was quietly peering around the edge of the small storage cell she stayed in and watched as Kiray departed for Brianna's place in the cargo hold.

_There's something strange goin' on here..._ Mira thought as she quickly followed them, pausing just outside of the round doorway.

"What's all this about, Brianna?" Kiray asked. Brianna flinched slightly at the name, but quickly recovered as she explained:

"Where I first met your brother, Kahned, he seemed to be my ideal friend: brave in combat, caring, and willing to sacrifice to ensure his friends' safety. But, on Dxun, while you, Mira, and Mandalore were on Onderon, he kept vanishing, for no reasons at all. One night, I asked him about it. Kahned told me that he was merely walking along the old paths, thinking about other times. I was not satisfied."

_No wonder he likes her; she's stubborn and won't take no for an answer._

"I asked Atton to follow him the next night, and he related the events to me as he called you. I fear that there are other powers at work here, powers I have yet to contend with." Brianna shook her head. "I just don't know what to do. Please, can you advise anything?"

"None that I can't implement myself," Kiray replied with a sigh, "Right now, I don't think it would be safe to ask questions. If we keep watching, we might see just exactly what is going on here." Brianna nodded and prepared to settle down when Kiray mentioned, "I hear you've been training a few people in Echani combat."

"Yes." Brianna stood back up, but a confident gleam shone in her eye. "Do you wish to learn some subtle arts we Echani teach only each other?"

"I would be honored, Brianna, of whatever you can teach me." Kiray replied, shrugging off her robes and armor. Brianna followed suit, and both stood in their skivvies as one certain pilot walked into the hold. The two women froze at the sight of him, and Atton dropped his plate of food in surprise. The women froze in their combat positions, and Atton hurried out before calling, "Uh, mind giving a guy a warning before he finds two ladies about to duke it out in the nude?"

"Oh, relax, nerf-herder. We were just about to warm up." Atton shrugged before he quickly shuffled around the doorway and settled on a bench. Kiray and Brianna bowed to each other, and, suddenly, Brianna leaped up and swept her foot against the interior of Kiray's knee. The Mandalorian barely had time to leap out of the way before Brianna decided to jab her in the solar plexus, sending Kiray to the floor and winded.

_By the Force, she's fast!_ she thought as she struggled up to her feet and massaging her abdomen. Brianna waited for Kiray to regain her breath and kept waiting as Kiray eyed her. It was difficult to make out any weakness in the Echani's form, but some of Kiray's own training began emerging as she struck from the side, moving like a snake striking its prey.

Brianna expertly blocked the swing Kiray had propelled her way, and leaped over the kick that had been a secondary attack. However, she hadn't expected a head-butt as she returned to the floor, and Brianna sprawled out on the floor, the direct center of her forehead red from the force of Kiray's blow.

"An interesting choice of attack," she murmured, returning to her feet and rubbing her head. "However, it may be wiser if you do not rely upon brute force to overpower your enemy."

"What do you propose?" Kiray asked in interest. Atton was also watching attentively, not really paying attention to his food after all. Brianna smiled and replied, "Simply speed yourself up. Use your nimbleness to use. As the Echani say, those who stand like the pillar will fall to them who move like the wind."

Kiray instantly realized what Brianna was saying. Her father had tried a few times to make her move faster when fighting, telling her virtually the same thing. However, it was Mandalorian nature to use brawn over cunning, and now Kiray understood how important both were.

"Thank you, Brianna. This has certainly taught me a valuable lesson. Now, if you two will excuse me, I need to check on a few other things." Kiray nodded to Brianna and Atton and quietly left the cargo hold, in the general direction of Lonna Vash's dormitory. The Jedi Master was sitting quietly on the floor, meditating, and rose when Kiray entered.

"Kiray, I was hoping you would be here," Lonna said in greeting. "There are a few things we must talk about before we reach Dantooine."

"All right." Kiray settled on a bed as Lonna returned to the floor.

"First, you must be aware of what devastation was wrought on the Enclave five years ago. You were not trained there, so you may not truly understand how important it was to many of us. But be warned: the echoes of the dead Jedi and maintenance workers are still present there, and it is a very powerful place of sorrow. With your growing connection to the Force, you may be even more affected than any other Jedi aboard this ship.

"And second...Kiray, you have grown much since you began searching for us Jedi Masters. We were certainly wrong to exile you. Now, I hope to make it up to you."

"How so?" Kiray asked, intrigued by Lonna's words. Kiray had known about the havoc Malak had wreaked on Dantooine, and had taken the warning of the echoes to heart. If anything, it was half her fault that so many could have died...with the thing crawling within her, that cringed in devouring the Force, and her friends and mentors. But this new thing, though..."Are you saying what I think you're going to say?"

Lonna smiled. "Throughout the history of the Jedi, very few have ascended the higher ranks to those of prestige: true paragons of the order that defend and protect the galaxy on the widest scale. In fact, the most recent Jedi to have come close...was Revan." Kiray froze for a moment, then only half-listened as Lonna continued:

"But no one, in the last hundred years, has gained a prestige class. Except now." Kiray unfroze at that and she stared at Lonna in surprise. "Kiray Fett, I know what you have suffered. You have recovered tremendously, and now, it is your time. There are three classes for the prestiged Jedi: Weapon Master, Watchman, and Master. To which path are you suited to?"

Kiray wasted no time and answered, "The Weapon Masters are the best at using lightsabers and other weapons. They can use their emotions to fuel them in protecting others. And...this is what I wish to become."

"Let us close the door, then. Your training must remain secret, and will take time." Kiray slowly walked to the door, and closed it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Atton was stretched out in the pilot's chair, watching hyperspace roll by. His pazaak cards were being flicked absentmindedly through his fingers, and he was looking around the cockpit in an indifferent fashion. He suddenly caught sight of something right above him, and Atton set his pazaak cards aside to stand on his chair and read the note inscribed there in a rushed Basic scrawl:

_NEVER open, under ANY circumstances. This means you!_

Atton frowned; who had written that? It couldn't have been Kiray, she wasn't that skilled with a fusioncutter. The trash-compactor utility droid wasn't tall enough...unless the assassin psychopath had picked it up. But those two rarely got along, if ever. _Might've been those techs on Peragus...well, just what could be so dangerous to lock up in here?_

He dug into his pockets and located a pick, which he carefully jabbed into the lock and, after fiddling with it for two minutes, it popped open. Atton smiled as he stowed the pick away and he reached up to find what was in there...

Something, bright yellow and orange, leaped out of the compartment with a croak, and skidded onto the metal floor. Startled, Atton lost his balance and landed flat on his face it front of the tiny amphibian-like creature. It croaked again and Atton saw a tiny note flutter down from the compartment. He caught it and read:

_Last gizka found aboard ship after using poison to get rid of them all. Make sure Carth doesn't find, or Bastila, or Canderous. Actually, don't let anyone find it._

Atton looked up at the thing, a gizka, and watched as it hopped away. "Frak!" he growled, picking himself up and chasing after it. It was in the doorway between the corridor to the cockpit and the main hold when Atton sprang down on it. The gizka squirmed under his hold, croaking loudly. "Shut up, you blasted thing!" Atton hissed at it, but it only cried out louder. Atton swore again.

"What's goin' on?" Mandalore rumbled, trudging up from the access panel Goto had forced him to look at. Atton tried to look nonchalant as he stood up, trying to hide the gizka behind his back, but it was twisting madly, trying to break his grip.

"Uh, nothin'..."

"If its nothing, what're you hiding behind your back?" Atton froze, and the gizka had wrestled free of his grip and sprang around in front of him, croaking up at Mandalore. The helmed warrior stared down at it and Atton bit his lip, screwing his eyes shut...

"A gizka? How the heck did one of these things end up aboard ship again?" Mandalore growled, grabbing it by the leg. The gizka couldn't fight with most of its muscles being held by the Mandalorian leader, and so hung limply. Mandalore just stared at it, looking it over, and when he stared into its face, the gizka stared right back.

"You, pilot. Go into the cargo hold, punch in 'Red-47' into the hidden console, and bring the bottles in there. This looks like it'll be just as long as it was the first time," Mandalore muttered, still staring at the gizka's face and settling it down on the table, the creature's eyes riveted to his helmet. Atton was still very confused, and didn't move, but Mandalore roared, "Get moving! Do you need an explanation for every tiny thing?!"

"Right, cargo hold, Red-47..." Atton murmured before stumbling off in utter confusion, a feeling he did not experience all too often. Mandalore shook his head, his gaze still riveted onto the gizka, unblinking.

"Just like Republic was, eh? I thought so too."


	34. Interlude II

CHAPTER XXXIII: Interlude, part II

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Atton had thought that the stare-off that Mandalore started with the gizka lasted the entire rest of the trip to Dantooine. Atton had brought as many bottles of the stuff he'd found in the compartment Mandalore had told him to raid as he could, and, after drinking a few bottles with the Mandalorian (along with some juma), he was feeling pretty good.

"When was the last time ya did somethin' like this?" Atton asked, his voice a little slurred from the drinks. Goto had stopped working specifically to watch the contest, and harrumphed slightly behind him. "Didn't ask ya, Goto," he growled, taking a clumsy swipe at the droid, who hovered up to avoid it.

"'Bout five years ago, I think," Mandalore replied, taking a hefty swig of whatever the bottle's contents was. "It was private-like, so Jak took no notice. Pretty much the only person who knew was one of the Jedi girls that followed us around...Kayden, I think her name was."

"Who was Jak?" Atton asked, curiosity growing. If he was lucky, he could learn a lot today. Mandalore looked away for a brief moment, and the gizka hopped away off the table. Mandalore didn't notice, but leaned back and sighed.

"Jak Donar...ah, she was an amazing woman. Tough as nails, and a Corellian to boot. She was a smuggler before the Reps got her, but I didn't meet her until after she hit Taris. This was all before Malak got killed, and when I first met Jak, she called me quite a few names when I gave her some simple compliments." Mandalore chuckled at the memory, seeing the fire in her eyes. "Then she got trained to be a Jedi, couple of different adventures ensued, she killed Malak –"

"Wait, _she_ killed Malak? I thought Revan killed Malak!" Atton burst out, causing Mira to sit up and glance out to watch the men. She had been listening, of course, and she was, even now, mentally jotting notes. Mandalore glanced over to Atton.

"Revan, Jak, there's very little difference between them. Jak just refused to be Revan again."

"So, you mean, this Jak gal _was _Revan?"

"That's exactly what I mean. Anyway, Jak killed Malak, big ol' ceremony, naming us all heroes of the Republic...then she left. Don't know where she went, she just up and left. Lot of us missed her, but she had given us, well, some, directions for what we needed to do. She seemed afraid for the entire galaxy. Told me to go and rebuild the Mandalore clans, giving me the helm to make sure I had a solid claim. Haven't heard from her since."

"For five years? That's a long time for her to be gone. Wasn't there someone she loved back here?"

"Yeah. She had to leave him, too. Told him that the Republic needed him more than she did. It tore him apart. I wish Kayden hadn't left me...but she had her own duty. I still admire her for that."

"What happened to this Kayden?"

"Well, after the whole Star Forge debacle, she and I stuck together with Jak for a time. After Jak left, Kayden went back to the Jedi. She was one of many who died on Katarr." Mandalore lowered his head, and Atton couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"But there's no point in discussing the past any longer. We should get back to our lives." With that, Mandalore stood and left Atton to his thoughts. Mira decided to wander over and said, "Well, that seemed like an interesting conversation."

"Is it really any of your business, Mira?" Atton asked, standing and walking into the cockpit. Mira doggedly followed him.

"It is my business if it's spoken near me," Mira quipped as Atton sat and picked up his cards. "I guess you wouldn't mind someone telling you that you were special to them, eh?"

"Kiray's told me as much," Atton answered, staring out the window.

"By complimenting you. Giving you kisses...ech. Has she said as much? That she loves you, that you mean as much to her as anyone else on this rustbucket?" Atton had to think on that. Mira seemed satisfied and walked out.

Did Kiray love him? Sure, he was rough, he had killed Jedi, but Kiray had looked past that...like _her_, and accepted him for who he was, and would always be. What was that phrase? _A diamond in the rough_? Whatever it meant, it seemed to fit him. But, like Mira said, Kiray had not once ever said, "I love you" to him, not even in her native tongue. Were Mandalorians so guarded? Or was it her Jedi side that didn't want her to say it?

With these disturbed thoughts, Atton found himself falling asleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Now, I want you to meditate on what I've taught you, Kiray. You've been a fine student, and I want to make sure it stays in your head. Otherwise you'll be a very bad Weapon Master!" Lonna joked as she started leaving. Kiray nodded and Lonna locked the door to make sure Kiray wasn't disturbed.

The past few hours had been amazingly hard. Lonna had had to condense as much as she knew about the teachings of Weapon Masters so Kiray could cram as much as possible. This included physical conditioning to shrug off vast amounts of pain, lightsaber training, and expanding her Force senses to a vast extent, even to sensing the currents of hyperspace. How Kiray had loved feeling the swirls of the amazing dimension of space-time...

Kiray settled herself on the chilled metal floor, legs crossed and she thought through the Code:

_There is no emotion, there is peace..._

The peace of knowing so many new things astounded her; the peace Atton gave her whenever they were together...

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge..._

Yes, knowing that Atton cared for her ended about half her ignorance in the province of love; the other half rested in the fateful words she had yet to speak to him...

_There is no passion, there is serenity..._

Sure, like she would ever release her passion for fighting, her friends, and...Atton, how she had a passion for him. Maybe having a passion could lead to serenity...

_There is no chaos, there is harmony..._

Her life was a big maelstrom of chaos. She wouldn't be able to rid herself of all that unless she had some type of anchor in her life. Kahned didn't really fit that role, but maybe Atton...

_There is no death, there is the Force._

And when she became one with the Force, who would continue her family, her memory? There would have to be kids along the road ahead. Was there a man she was willing to spend the rest of her life with...

"Oh, this isn't going to work!" Kiray hissed to herself, standing up and throwing off her robe. She couldn't meditate if her thoughts were on Atton...Atton with those charming brown eyes, that lopsided smile...

"Stop it!" she said again, holding a support as she leaned on her side. Maybe getting some sleep before hitting Dantooine...then finding a decent cantina to get a drink in would get her back to herself. Kiray crashed onto her bunk, and her eyelids were suddenly heavy...

_Kir? What's goin' on?_

_Atton!_ Kiray thought, seeing his face, a little ghostly in the Force, appear before hers, followed by the rest of his body. Kiray looked down and saw herself materializing in the same manner. _Do you know what's happening?_

_Nuh-uh. Not a clue._

Kiray felt herself and Atton being drawn forward, and closer together. Her hand suddenly merged with Atton's and they both started struggling at the sudden happenings.

_Stop it! Whoever you are, stop it!_ Kiray screamed as she felt herself being connected closer and closer to Atton. He was also shouting, trying to pull apart. But there was a bright blaze of light, and a kind face, indescribable, whispered, "_It is the Will of the Force!_"

The connection between Atton and Kiray was nearly complete, and Kiray tried one last time to pull away, as did Atton, but their struggles were in vain as two became suddenly one.

Strange visions, places and people she had never met whizzed by. A kind face watched as she struggled to learn how to use a computer; others, goading her and encouraging, as she struggled to break a Jedi; a woman, staring at her, telling her she had the Force, and it was only a matter of time before the Sith broke her like she broke Jedi... Kiray suddenly realized that these were _Atton's_ memories, not her own. Their minds were mixing, and Kiray saw a few of her own memories whirl by. She tried to reach out for Atton, but she couldn't find him.

Then she realized that they were within each other, and she delved into herself and found him, surrounded by her own memories. She saw her father, Cassus Fett, teaching a younger version of Atton (as he lived it like she had his) how to hold a blaster, a vibroblade, and using it well; her attempt to get into the Jedi Temple gone awry, this time with Atton shouting in Mando'a, and, strangely, _Kiray_ coming to his rescue.

_Atton? Can you hear me?_ A dangerously confused affirmative reached her, and Kiray reached for him. _Take a hold! I can get you out of this!_ She found herself sounding like Atton, but he felt him reach for her, and Kiray held tightly as she pulled him from the whirl of her memories.

_Kir? What just happened?_ The timbre of Atton's voice had changed; something was very off.

_I don't know, Atton. But we're out of it...I hope._

Suddenly, the most powerful lurch yet yanked them deeper somewhere, still intertwined among each other, and they found themselves in a _third_ mind. Memories spun around them like a hurricane, and both Kiray and Atton had a hard time making sense of them.

There was a rescue from jeering kids on a shuttle, training with lightsabers...fighting multitudes of Mandalorians, facing down a small, porcelain-faced Jedi Knight. In a blaze of red light, those memories vanished, replaced with others; but there was a man with brown hair, the young Jedi from earlier, and other pictures whirled by, leading up to a fight between a red-suited man with pale white skin, and emerging victorious, but badly wounded. A searing jolt, and there was a prosthetic...suddenly, the two were pulled from the visions and thrown before their owner.

_Who the frak are you? What're you doing in my head?!_

_Whoever you are, don't hurt us! The Force dragged us into this mess,_ Kiray answered, feeling Atton nod frantically. The third stared down at them and rumbled, _Do you have some kind of schizophrenia? I only pick up one of you._

_The Force blended me and a friend before we got pulled into your mind. We experienced each other's memories, just like we saw yours._

_Just don't hurt either of us, will ya? I'd much rather get on with my day without any crazy Force-stuff happening to me, _Atton made sure to add.

The third person chuckled softly, and there was some sort of door that opened. _Go on, I can track you down soon enough. Go!_ With that, Kiray and Atton felt themselves spiraling down through the opening...

Kiray's eyes snapped open, and she shot up instantly. Her head fell into her hands, and she felt something new...and very unexpected. Her bond with Atton, which, before her doze, had been just like any other bond she formed. Now it was a wide open channel, too wide to block off. When she closed her eyes, she saw the main hold whirl by at a run, and she knew he was there before she even heard him stop running.

"Kiray? There's something very wrong going on..."

"Tell me about it," she muttered, looking up at him, and started in amazement.

"What? Kir, what's wrong?"

"Atton," Kiray began, clearing her throat, feeling what should not be there under her hand and on her chest, "I recommend that you do _not_ look in a mirror..."

"Why? Kir, what's up with you?" Atton bent down to try and look at her, but she turned away.

"Atton, just listen!" Kiray barked. "I don't know what just happened, but whatever you do, do _not_ look at yourself! Don't close your eyes to look through mine when we're together, don't try to see your face!" Atton blinked, but tried to get her to face him.

"No, no, don't..." Kiray murmured even as Atton got her to face him, trying to close her eyes so he couldn't see, but his eyes already were, and she couldn't close them as he stared through her eyes. She felt his shock as he stared at himself, and tears were rising in her eyes.

Atton was still recognizably Atton, but his hair wasn't the dark brown it should have been, it had the coppery tone of Kiray's hair; and his eyes, which had opened at Atton's mental reaction, were now mismatched, one his regular brown, the other Kiray's glowing amber. Atton withdrew from Kiray's mind and stared in shock as he stared at Kiray now.

"How bad is it?" Kiray asked, her eyes pleading in fear. Atton bit his lip before lightly tapping his temple. Kiray followed their channel and stared at herself through Atton's eyes. _Her _hair was now Atton's dark brown, and her eyes were also mismatched brown and amber. Kiray looked herself over entirely through Atton, and saw that she was a bit broader at the shoulder, her face just a little more pinched, but nothing hugely problematic.

Kiray returned to her mind and stared at the transformed Atton, who stared right back.

"What're we going to do?" he asked, his face concerned as Kiray leaned close to him.

"Just hold me..." she whispered, hugging Atton as the tears started flowing. Atton embraced her gently, laying his head on top of hers. They were irrevocably bonded now, and nothing could change that now. Except...

"Hey, pilot! Get over to the cockpit, we're about to come out of hyperspace," Kahned shouted. Atton looked up, hoping no one came walking onto them, so physically changed like this. Thankfully, Bao-Dur could be heard walking towards the cockpit, and Atton relaxed.

"Someone's going to come looking for us soon, you know that?" Kiray said, looking up at Atton. Atton shook his head, but the sound of footfalls down the corridor, and growing louder, would lead to a very bad revelation if it was the wrong person.

Lonna Vash appeared in the doorway, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw them. Kiray and Atton froze at the same time, hoping that she wouldn't start asking the awkward questions. Lonna walked forward and quickly closed the door.

"I wondered what that shaking in the Force was. Got half the ship into an uproar, you two did. But don't tell me you've –"

"Master Lonna, please, it's not that...it's..." Kiray fumbled, trying to get the words out, but Lonna had already seen what changes had been wrought on them.

"By the Force...what _happened_ to you two?!" she half-shouted, dropping to her knees and holding the two of them by the shoulder to fully see what had changed. "Oh, no...don't tell me you mind-melded!"

"Whatever that is, we didn't do it!" Atton retorted, shaking his head. "We were both asleep, and some really weird things happened..."

"It was like the Force actually tried to fuse us into one being!" Kiray explained in a rush, "We both fell asleep, and we got shoved together, saw each other's memories...and when we woke up, we were like _this_!" Lonna looked between them, seeing Atton nodding in agreement.

_You're not going to tell her about that third mind?_ He asked via the channel. Kiray mentally stared daggers at him and imperceptibly shook her head. Lonna seemed to be processing what had happened, and sighed.

"Oh, whatever happened, it doesn't seem to have changed anything too badly...but if this is like a mind-meld that happened to you guys, don't be surprised if other strange things start happening," Lonna said. "Like a sudden personality change, unexplainable mood swings...or, worst case, your minds switching bodies."

"_WHAT?!_" The other two exploded at the same time.

"I don't want to be stuck as a guy! I'm fine like I am!" Kiray burst.

"And _I_ don't want to end up as a girl! Really, I wouldn't survive!" Atton yelled. Lonna couldn't help but smile, thinking, _Kids._

"That's the _worst_ that could happen. Don't worry, it probably won't." With that, Lonna left the dorm, wisely closing the door to leave them some privacy. Kiray gulped and looked at Atton frightfully.

"How're we going to get through this?" Kiray moaned. Atton shrugged as he slid to sit next to her. Kiray leaned on his shoulder, and he rested his head on top of hers. Then, he realized something.

"Kir?"

"What?"

"Before the thing, were you actually thinking about telling me you loved me?"

Kiray looked up at his mismatched eyes, and then, seeing the lopsided smile on his face, nodded. "Yes. And you know what? I _do._ As we Mando'ade would say, I consider you my _cyar'ika_; my sweetheart. I love you Atton. Even with this change, it makes us even closer." Kiray smiled, and leaned against Atton again as she felt the ship descend to Dantooine.


	35. Developing Trouble

CHAPTER XXXIV: Developing Trouble

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After the _Hawk_ had settled on Dantooine, Lonna wisely gathered everyone into the hold and filled them in on Dantooine. However, Lonna's discussion was cut short when Mira asked the one question Lonna had not wanted asked.

"Where's Kiray and Atton? I swear, those two must _really_ like being in the same dorm..."

"Mira!" Lonna snapped, and the red-maned huntress shut her mouth, but the damage had already been done. Everyone started muttering, also taking notice of the pair's absence, and Lonna knew she would have to say _something_ to get them from asking about them. She heard the sound of a door opening, the swish of cloaks, and she relaxed as a hooded Kiray and Atton appeared, wearing opaque black visors to hide their eyes.

"_There _you are! What have you two been doing all this time?" Kahned asked, trying to catch his sister's eye, but for all he knew, he was failing miserably. Neither Kiray nor Atton wanted to answer, so the subject was dropped...at least for the moment.

"So, as I was saying," Lonna started again, "we might want to take a larger group into the Enclave; who knows what sort of creatures got in without Jedi protection there. We should also try and make an effort to figure out the political situation here. I would like –"

"Wait, you're giving orders now?" Mira broke in again, and both Kahned and Brianna shook their heads in disbelief. Bao-Dur was still doing some work on the ship, as was T3. Goto and HK were not present, probably arguing yet again. It seemed to Kiray, as she stood silently and hoping to the Force that no one apart from Lonna would know hers and Atton's secret, that the most likely person to figure them out was Visas, who was staring at the two of them, scanning with the Force as her sight. Kiray had no doubt that the bond between herself and Atton was clearly visible, but she couldn't know for certain...

"I know this place much better than Kiray, and it would be best if I did try and show some authority here," Lonna excused, still trying to draw attention away from her apprentice. "Now, when they appear, I would like Goto and Bao-Dur to explore the political situation here. Kahned, if you could accompany them?"

"I will do so, Master Vash, but I must ask what has overcome my sister...and her close companion," Kahned probed, staring at Kiray and Atton. Lonna was about to stop him from prying any deeper, but Kiray raised her hand. Lonna looked at them in fear, knowing what the others would say if they saw...

"It's all right, Master." It was Visas's breathy voice that spoke, then she faced Kahned, the lower half of her face frowning deeply. "If your sister wishes privacy or secrecy, it is not your place to pry. Do as Master Vash asks, and leave Kiray be." Kiray nodded her thanks to Visas, who placed her hand on her heart in reply.

"Good. The rest of us should be able to get into the Enclave alright, hoping it's not fully caved in," Lonna finished, nodding comfortably. Everyone started filing out, but Visas stayed back. As Kiray and Atton passed, she whispered:

"Do not let anyone see what has become of you. If anyone does find out, do not let it be your brother!"

"Why not Kahned?" Kiray hissed, hoping the subtle change in her voice would go unnoticed.

"There is a deep darkness within him...give him little trust, tell him nothing!" With that, Visas glided down the ramp. Atton lowered his visor a little and thought, almost desperately, _She knows._

_Of course she knows, Atton. She must be able to see this bond of ours...how did this happen to us?_

_I don't know, Kir. I don't know anything anymore..._

_Well, we're not getting anywhere if we stay here. C'mon, hotshot!_ With that, Kiray strolled down the ramp, Atton close behind her. Dantooine's cool breezes played across her face and threatened to tear down the hood of her dusky blue cloak, but Kiray's hand quickly grabbed the nape of her hood and saved herself from being revealed. Atton's forest-green cloak billowed out in the wind as he, too, fought to keep the hood up.

There was a young woman standing near the ship, surveying them in their robes and spotting multiple lightsabers at several hips. "You'll find no welcomes here, Jedi. Many people of Dantooine are hateful towards the Jedi."

"We don't really seem to care, do we?" Atton cracked, and froze, hoping no one would hear the slight raising in his tone. Thankfully, no one did notice, and the young protégé shrugged. She provided directions to Khoonda, the government center, and the three Lonna had specified earlier went to talk to the head of Khoonda, Terena Adare. The Jedi (which comprised of virtually everyone else) of the group chose to wait outside and enjoy the slightly overcast Dantooine day. Mira and Brianna stretched out on one of the plateaus, staring at clouds or playing with the grass. Kiray and Atton found another plateau, and were joined by Lonna and Visas.

"How did this bond occur?" Visas asked, and Lonna explained it as Kiray and Atton threw off their hoods and removed the visors. Atton ran a hand through his now copper-brown hair, turning his mismatched eyes to the clouded sky. Kiray shook her hair out and sighed before stretching out flat on the grasses. Atton spread himself out next to her, and he was struck by something.

"Kir?"

"What?"

"You know what Master Lonna said when she found us? Saying that some of our personality traits might have switched around?"

"Yeah...wait a second..." Kiray shot up in alarm, thinking through what she'd been doing, and thinking...

_It had been like Atton would have acted!_ Now that she thought about it, she would have been the one to stare at the sky, the one to be cautious in the face of probable danger. Atton looked at her pleadingly, knowing how far the bond had changed them. Kiray registered both of their fear at the worst symptom Lonna had mentioned: a full change of mind and body. Kiray tucked herself against Atton for the second time in less than twelve hours, felt tears welling, and she screwed her eyes shut, only to see as Atton saw as he mentally shook.

"Hey there!" Mira called as she and Brianna leaped up to their plateau. They started moving towards the double form of Kiray and Atton, but Lonna stopped Mira, and Visas held Brianna back.

"Do not do this," Visas warned her own apprentice, and Brianna looked to Visas, startled. Mira stared at Visas, too, before looking over to see Kiray's coppery hair and Atton's deep brown turn..._and they wore the opposite face!_

Kiray stared at Mira, seeing her shock, and quickly stood up. "Mira, wait, I can explain!" she called, even as Mira stepped back in shock, her green eyes boring straight at her. Brianna was frozen still, even as Kiray walked forward to try and hold Mira, try and make her feel like she was still with her, but Mira staggered back and ran full-out back to the ship.

"Mira! Wait!" Kiray shouted, even as Mira vanished behind the dividing wall between the plains and the docking platform. Kiray fell to her knees, even as a wrenching pain wracked her chest, and punched the ground in frustration. "Why, why, _why?!_"

"What has happened?" Brianna asked, looking at the two others, as Atton, clutching his chest and wincing, jogged to Kiray's side. Visas simply looked over at the two before taking Brianna to give her an explanation.

In the distance, a dark-clad figure stared at the group, spotting the two that had accidentally reached her mind. She knew that they shared a closeness like she had before..._oh, why did I ever leave?_

But she couldn't reveal herself now...if she did, it could be catastrophic! Soon, though...very soon, she would have to. If only now! If only, even just to keep them company and give comfort, like she had with her own friends.

"Kir, Kir, shh, it's all right! Mira will have to understand at some point!" Atton tried to comfort her; once again, another bit of Kiray that had lodged in him. Her stubbornness, however, stayed the same, and she refused to talk, driving all her feelings into the ground with every punch. Atton frowned, and did something he _knew_ that he would have done no matter what. He lifted her off the ground, swinging her over his shoulder.

Kiray's fist kept rising and falling, lightly striking Atton's back as he started walking. _Why _didn't Mira stop? Why had she run before Lonna, or Visas, could have explained? Kiray had always liked to consider Mira like a sister, the closest friend she could ever have...but now? Now it was a saddening truth that Mira would not come near her again.

"Where are you taking her?!" Lonna called as Atton breezed by, holding Kiray as she hung limply off his shoulder. He didn't answer, didn't notice Kahned and Bao-Dur and Goto come out of Khoonda and start asking what was wrong. He started running, seeing the spires of the Jedi Enclave in the distance, growing larger as he raced past a camp of salvagers, and turned a corner, knowing it was there...

He stopped when he rounded the corner, seeing the decimation of the Enclave. Atton could feel the waves of sorrow, and he felt himself collapse as his head spun. Kiray wailed loudly as she heard the screaming Jedi under the barrage brought down by Malak. She buried herself into Atton and cried, "Make it stop, make it stop..."

"I can't, Kir...I can't!" he shouted, letting her down onto the grass as he clapped his hands over his ears. Kiray moaned and turned in the grass, and a spiking pain rose as she rolled away from Atton, down towards a babbling stream...a stream that had run red one day, five years ago. Atton crawled after her, trying to grab her before she was carried down the current, but she was too far...

A hand shot down and grabbed Kiray's wrist and Atton's, the fingers seen burning red as their mysterious rescuer dragged them together, and the dreadful pain stopped as barriers were erected to block it out, and before they blacked out, their strange helper glanced down before leaping away. Even as the world around them grew dark, and there were assorted shouts from the people they knew, Kiray muttered, "It was Revan. Revan..."

The darkness took them both, and Revan stared down at them before running, avoiding discovery at the last second.


	36. The Killer, the Kid, and the Historian

CHAPTER XXXV: The Killer, the Kid, and the Historian

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Kiray groaned as she opened her eyes, her head swimming. She closed her eyes and slowly sat up, rubbing her forehead. A hand came down on her shoulder, gently, but firmly, pushing her down onto the bed. "Easy, General, easy..." Bao-Dur's voice said easily, and Kiray reopened her eyes to see Bao-Dur looking down at her. The Zabrak had concern on his face, and Kiray glanced around uncomfortably to see everyone else looking at her. Mira was a short ways away, but still looking concerned.

"What happened, after Atton and I collapsed?" Kiray asked, starting to sit back up again, even as Bao-Dur pressed her back down onto the bed. Kiray could make out a few soft whispers, and fought back up to stare around. "What's going on?"

"Kiray, you have to understand, both you and Atton were slammed pretty hard by feeling the Enclave's aura...you've felt as much destruction before, during the Wars..."

"_What's happened?!_"

"Kir, whatever happened, there's nothing we can do –" Mira actually piped up as Kiray stood and faced them all: Kahned, Lonna, T3, Bao-Dur, Brianna, HK, Goto, Visas, Mandalore, and Mira, who all seemed to be blocking off something from her sight.

"Where's Atton?"

"Kiray, Mira's right, there's not much we could do –" Lonna tried to cut across her, standing in front of Kiray, who charged forward to get past them all.

"_Where's Atton?!_" Kiray nearly shouted, trying to sense him; the channel bond was very dim now, and scarily so. Kahned physically grabbed Kiray and tried to drop her back into bed, but Kiray shoved him away, diving through the crowd...

On the bed behind her crew was Atton, eyes closed, a look of terror etched on his face. He was pale, and Kiray tried to reach his mind, but found nothing, almost like he'd been forced out by so much pain...

"He's stable, but he just seems to no longer have a mental will to allow him to live," Visas diagnosed quietly as Kiray stroked Atton's near-dead face, her mismatched eyes welling up with tears _again_. Did Atton cry this much?

"Kiray, I'm sorry, but I've tried everything I could..." Lonna muttered. Kiray didn't reply, but laid her head against Atton's motionless wrist, her shoulders hunched. Someone wrapped comforting arms around her, and Kiray glanced up to see Mira, who sighed.

"This...this is all my fault. If I hadn't bolted...just because I didn't know what was going on...Atton wouldn't've started off for the Enclave with you...I'm sorry..." Mira shuddered. Although Kiray and Mira were the only ones to show it, the others felt the loss, as well. Bao-Dur wondered to himself whether he would ever need to stand for another of Atton's wisecracks that had become so regular for him; Kahned, in his strange and (as of yet) underestimated mind, fondly thought of how Atton had changed his sister to what he knew now. Even HK-47, homicidal by nature, was actually comparing his latest master to Master, and finding that these were very familiar in context.

"Both myself and Brianna have volunteered to remain here...in case he should awake," Visas stated breathily, and Brianna confirmed this with a nod. Kiray stood and nodded, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Quite automatically, pazaak card values started adding and subtracting, the rhythm calming as the numbers constantly changed. There was a knock at the door, and T3 wheeled over to open it.

Standing in the doorway was a dignified-looking woman with a few tattooed dots on her temples, dark hair pulled back into a tight bun speared with a pair of sharp sticks. This, Kiray assumed, was Administrator Terena Adare, and from the look on her face, Adare was torn between a warm greeting and an expulsion from the planet. She decided to take the middle path, and stated quietly, "So, have the Jedi truly returned?"

"Yes, they have," Kiray said coolly, refusing to betray her emotions. "Kiray Fett, Weapon Master of the Jedi. These are my companions, Master Lonna Vash (Lonna bowed at this), Knights Visas Marr (who nodded), Mira (who tossed her wild red hair in greeting), Brianna (nodding), and the currently incapacitated Atton Rand. These others are Goto, Bao-Dur, Mandalore, HK-47, T3-M4, and Kahned Fett."

"A pleasure to meet you all, although I have met a few of you already," Adare replied with a nod. Kahned nodded, as did the droids and Bao-Dur, at this.

"So...what's going on around these parts?" Kiray asked, slowly sitting down. Things felt so...dull now...

Adare remained standing as she began, "Well, a mutual friend of ours...let's just call him Vrook...decided to go into the Enclave ruins, saying that he was going to wait for someone there. I have not heard from him since then, and, what with the mercenaries –"

"Excuse me, did you say _mercenaries?_" Kiray interrupted, her fist tightening around her lightsaber. Adare slowly nodded, and Kiray mentally groaned.

"They are lead by a man named Azkul; and yeah, that name's familiar," Kahned added, answering Kiray's sudden recognition of the name. Azkul had been an elite soldier with the Mereels right before Kiray left, and Kiray knew that the man was bloodthirsty, and possibly insane. Adare kept talking, but Kiray kept hearing something...a boy's voice, scared out of his wits.

_Help me! Someone help me! He'll kill me if no one helps me!_

_Who? _Kiray asked quietly, trying to find the voice's owner. _Who's after you?_

_Help me! Anyone, help me!_

Kiray stood quickly, startling everyone. "I'm sorry, administrator, but I need to get into the Enclave. If you can quickly give me access to any levels that are still accessible, I will be much obliged."

"Of course, of course..." Adare replied in confusion as Kiray gave Atton one last sorrowful look before tightening her robe over her shoulders.

"Bao, Mandalore, on me. There's something I want to investigate."

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The Force echoes of the Enclave were much quieter now, as Kiray led the way to the sublevel door. A cluster of salvagers came running out, and the leader, a black-haired woman wearing light Echani armor, started shouting angrily, "Are we missing anyone?!"

"Jorran...I don't see Jorran!" another salvager answered, an older fellow with gray hair. The leader's face contorted angrily.

"Damn it, and he's the one with the bag! Did anyone grab anything while we were down there?!" she yelled, only getting no's and shakes of heads. She whirled, and noticed Kiray's small group. "What're you doing here, offworlder? You don't look like a salvager!"

"Just heading down to the Enclave to look for some people, maybe get some stuff along the way," Kiray answered, seeing, and sensing, Mandalore starting to feel violent. They had poked around some before passing the salvager camp, locating the mercenaries' base, and a trio of Mandalorians. Mandalore had told them to return to Dxun, taking his authority as Mandalore into hand, when the leader, Esok, decided to claim Mandalore's helm for himself. With backup from Kiray and Bao-Dur, Mandalore had defeated Esok, and the other Mandalorians had run to gather whatever else of their clan there was on the planet. Kiray had personally checked Esok's clan mark – he had been a member of a rare "shadow clan" that had no true name. The rumors went that Azkul was blood-related in the _Werde Aliit, _even though he had worn the marks of the Mereel clan in Kiray's memory.

"Well, you won't find anything down there, and the only living things down there are laigreks," the salvager leader answered, although one seemed a little shifty. Kiray glanced over to him and gestured him forward.

"Did you see, or hear, anyone down there?" she asked kindly, pushing very gently with the Force in his mind to make sure he would indeed say. His eyes flicked towards the leader, who shrugged and, hefting a Wookiee bowcaster over her shoulder, started marching off for the camp, the rest trailing behind her.

"Well, we was walkin' down towards the records room, see if we could slice into it and see if there was any 'olocrons in there. Me and Veran, we were workin' on the door when I heard a boy start shoutin'. 'Course, we make sure no kids come down to the sublevel, cause a' all the laigreks skitterin' around here, so me and Veran went to 'vestigate.

"Eventually, we got to a circular room the Jedis must've used for trainin' or summat, and I saw a little boy, wiv brown hair and the strangest eyes I ever did see: brown an' amber. Anyways, he come running up to me and Veran, crying his eyes out, sayin' how he'd be killed if we didn't protect him. We tried over an' over to get him to calm down, but he suddenly started scremin' and he bolted, right before an older guy walks in, dressed all in black, and askin', ever so polite, where he might find that little boy. Both me an' Veran knew somethin' was wrong wiv 'im, 'cause his hair was coal-black, and he was deathly pale, and his eyes was red. We didn't tell him anythink, so he just stormed off. I think they may still be down there."

"Thanks," Bao-Dur said, because Kiray seemed very weak all of a sudden and had to lean on a side wall. After the salvager had jogged off to rejoin his mates, Bao-Dur asked concernedly, "What is it?"

"Down there...By the Force, Bao, didn't you recognize the boy? Brown hair, mismatched eyes...it's Atton, wasn't it?" Mandalore put forth, and Kiray, covering her mouth, nodded, sniffling slightly.

"But the man trying to kill him...who was that?" Bao-Dur questioned, and Kiray took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Atton...during the Jedi Civil War, he was with Revan. He wasn't really the scoundrel we all know and care for to an extent; rather, he was an assassin and Jedi breaker named Jaq. Jaq was another person entirely...he got me once, and he was vile, cruel and angry. I think the darker man...I think that's Jaq," Kiray answered softly.

"And Jaq's trying to kill Atton..._haar'chak_, talk about a real personality problem," Mandalore cracked, and Kiray's face broke into a smile as she slowly stood, holding her lightsaber.

"So...we look for Vrook and Atton, try to take down Jaq?" Bao-Dur asked, looking extraordinarily unlike himself: ready for anything, an expectant light in his eyes. Kiray's smile broadened as she clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"That sounds like a plan to me; we'll make sure to leave any computers to you," Kiray joked, and Bao-Dur beamed as she opened the door, and they entered the Jedi Enclave's sublevel.

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"Wow..." Kiray breathed as she saw the beautiful running fountain, and she knew Bao-Dur's breath was taken away, too. Mandalore, however, had snapped his attention towards a side passage and started jogging off in that direction, Kiray curiously following, and Bao-Dur reluctantly leaving the beautiful fountain. Eventually, Kiray heard a soft snuffling as Mandalore opened a door that lead to a dining room, and they quietly walked into the room. Mandalore stayed close to the door, keeping an eye out for Jaq or laigreks as Kiray and Bao-Dur looked all over the room.

Kiray stopped at the back of the room before glancing down under the table, and saw a crouched figure, looking around like a caged animal. His brown hair, although dark, had copper hints, and his eyes bore two colors: one dark brown, the other blazing amber. Kiray breathed in sharply, and the boy froze, staring at her.

"Hey there...it's all right," Kiray said kindly, trying to draw him out. "I'm here to help you, don't be scared...c'mon out..."

The boy slowly crawled out from under the table, his lanky hair falling into his eyes as he looked up at Kiray. He blinked a few times in surprise and muttered, "At least you're not _him_. Name's Atton. Atton Rand." And the younger Atton Rand stuck out his hand, which Kiray shook vigorously.

"I'm Kiray. It's a pleasure to meet you, Atton," Kiray answered. Mandalore spun towards them, his manner agitated.

"Bad news," he growled, "Jaq's on approach. If he finds the kid, we're _shabla_." Atton's eyes went wide at hearing Mandalore's language before realizing what Mandalore had just called him.

"Hey, I ain't a kid! I'm fifteen, and I bet I've made more credits than any of you old-timers!" Atton retorted. Kiray capped a hand over his mouth before he could make any more noise and dove under the table, Bao-Dur and Mandalore following suit. Kiray wished, hoped against all hopes that Jaq would not find them; Force knew what he would do after being repressed for so long. Heavy footsteps sounded as Jaq drew closer, and Kiray squeezed her eyes closed as she held Atton even tighter, refusing to lose him again.

"_AAAAAttttoooonnnn..._where are you...'cause you know you're gonna die when I find you...and I'll have her all to myself...and I won't have you to try and stop me!" Jaq gloated. Kiray burned with anger at his taunts, and she felt Atton itching to punch the guy in the face, but held him down, even as Jaq's heavy boots thudded closer.

"I know you're in here. I can hunt you, just like all the others...and you'll be begging for the end, when I find you, just like them...and you won't, not until I try and get you to see things my way...but if not, then, and only then, will you die, but so painfully and spectacularly that you'll scream, and scream for her, but she won't be there to save your sorry hide." Jaq's boots were closest to Kiray and Atton now, and Atton hissed, "Don't let him find us! He's as good as his word!"

"Quiet, kid, or he'll find us all!" Mandalore hissed, and Atton shut up, even as light, stealthy footsteps entered the room. Kiray barely caught sight of shiny violet-silver boots before they leaped onto the table. Jaq's feet slid into a ready position before staggering back in surprise.

"Hello, Jaq. Long time, no see," a voice, melodious, internally joking, said, the speaker most likely smiling. Kiray couldn't envision who it could be, even though the voice was so familiar.

"How...I –I thought you –"

"Were dead? How touching. Like I was actually someone you cared for. But I twisted you into this...I made you like this, forced it out of you...and for that, I'm sorry."

"_Sorry?!_ I never thought I'd see the day when you came back for us, and you say the last thing I expect!" Jaq roared. Kiray could practically sense their hopeful-rescuer's fake smile as she (because it sounded like a woman) strode closer to Jaq.

"Well, things have changed since we last saw each other, Jaq...and now, I've changed. I'm not who I once was. Want proof?"

"You always give it, right?"

"Then head out to the fountain with me, and I'll prove it. Come on out..." To Kiray's amazement, Jaq's heavy boots started going for the exit, and the light footsteps came off the table, and they slowly walked out...and a loud crack was heard as someone threw a punch that connected with a nose.

"Whoever's in there, get movin'! I've got no clue when he'll wake up, but when he does, he'll be pissed to the nine hells!" the woman shouted, her voice vanishing as she ran. Kiray emerged from under the table after releasing Atton, who followed Mandalore to see what had become of Jaq.

"Whoa…she must've broken his nose!" Atton exclaimed as Kiray helped Bao-Dur up from under the table. They headed out, taking note of Jaq, out cold and bloody, before racing down the main hallways, dodging laigreks and falling debris until they emerged on the opposite end of the Enclave sublevel.

"Well, we should be a good distance away from him now, and we can always dodge into some of these rooms if we need to," Kiray said, nodding towards the side doors in the passage. Atton's face was red and he was panting, clutching his knees. Bao-Dur was still ready to go, as was Mandalore, while Kiray approached a single door to her left. She carefully picked the door open, and was taken aback when she saw a blond man in what appeared to be an old library. Kiray knew Atton was staring at him jealously as the blond bowed politely as Kiray took a few steps in.

"I guess you're a gentleman, then," Kiray remarked as he straightened with a smile. She heard Mandalore snigger, and she knew once again that Atton was jealous.

"I am a historian and scientist for the Republic, Master Jedi," the blond remarked in a well-cultured Coruscanti accent. Kiray suddenly felt like she knew him from somewhere as he continued, "I have been here for quite some time, trying to preserve these old books and histories of the Jedi."

"A noble task," Kiray said, "but perhaps better done at the Temple on Coruscant, I think. Do I know you from somewhere?" He was suddenly off-balance and stammered a little, much to Atton's delight.

"I – I imagine that you've met many people on your travels, and my face is rather plain-looking…."

"Forget it. Well, you keep doing your protecting and preserving thing, we're going to go check out these bodies." Kiray started trying to walk around the historian, but he stopped her quickly.

"Before you go, I must ask you something."

"Fire away."

"It has taken some time, but I believe I have finally recognized you: you are Kiray Talmara, yes? The famed Jedi General of Malachor V?"

Bao-Dur blinked once at the mention of Kiray's pseudonym during the wars, but a single glance from her kept him from speaking as she answered, "Well, yes...why do you ask?"

"If you will allow me, I would like to join you on your journey," the historian remarked, and Atton coughed, "_No room!_" Kiray shot him a glare and turned back to the historian.

"We'd be honored if you'd join us," Kiray remarked, "but –"

"_RAND! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?!_"

"Uh oh," Atton said, swinging around fearfully as Jaq's heavy and now-storming footsteps rang in the halls. The historian looked confused as Mandalore and Bao-Dur went to hide and Atton grabbing the historian's lapels over to the other side as Kiray threw off her robe and pulled out her lightsaber as Jaq turned to the corner, and a slow, lecherous smile grew upon his face when he saw her staring defiantly at him.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? The little Mando Jetii all alone, just like the last time we met," Jaq chuckled, hopping lightly down the steps towards Kiray, who shrugged.

"I'm not the strapped down scrap of what I was back then, _Jaq_. It would be safe to say that you are about to have a rude awakening," Kiray said, activating her lightsaber. Jaq wiped his still-bleeding nose and balled his fists, his smile not fading an inch.

"I can't wait. Let's see what you've got." With that, Jaq roared and swung a massive right hook at Kiray, who easily sidestepped and watched, amused, as Jaq lost his balance and plummeted face-first into the floor. He stood up, smile gone, nose pouring blood down his face, and a snarl across his face.

"Tsk, tsk, Jaq, I thought you were better than this," Kiray goaded, and Jaq charged again, and was easily sidestepped again, and fell into a series of desks, tumbling over them.

"Goodness, I guess Atton was good to keep you down so long; you never picked up on any of his Echani refresher lessons," Kiray said again as Jaq staggered to his feet yet again, red staining his black ensemble. Kiray walked towards him, unafraid, her eyes boring into his, emotionless. She was right before him when Jaq attempted to jab her nose. Kiray focused a wall around his fist, and it stopped short, even as he struggled to break it.

"Jaq, you cannot win. You did not win the last time, and you will not win this time." Kiray sprang up and planted both feet into Jaq's stomach, driving him to the ground again, then grabbing his throat. Her free fist came close to his face and crackled with blue-white lightning.

"Yield," Kiray ordered softly, Jaq staring at the electric energy, then staring at Kiray...then he kicked up and threw Kiray off of him. Kiray tumbled towards the cases, stopping herself and reaching for her lightsaber, only to find that it had flown from her hand...and had landed in Jaq's.

"Hm, what a pity. I was expecting something more of a fight from you. No matter, no matter...I didn't kill you then, but I'll kill you now..." Jaq activated her lightsaber, and the cyan light cast a ghostly light on Kiray, who closed her eyes, ready to be one with the Force...

"Jaq!"

Jaq turned, and there stood Atton, his eyes narrow and an unseen wind billowing around him. Jaq grinned and cried, "Well, the worm of the light comes! Looks like you'll live long enough to see her death before you die yourself!"

"No," Atton said. "You won't kill me, and you won't kill her." The breeze intensified as Atton kept staring at Jaq, who laughed, still holding Kiray's lightsaber, unaware of Kiray coming up behind him...

"That's a laugh! It took you three long years to take me down and put a mockery of yourself on top of me! And now, when it comes to the final showdown, you know I will win!" Jaq boasted, but his eyes betrayed his fear as Atton drew closer, and the wind rose to hurricane speed. Kiray reached out, and grabbed the opposite end of her lightsaber, snapping it in two, and drawing her cyan half down across Jaq's back. He roared in pain and fell to his knees, and he looked up into Atton's face. "Kill me...kill me now...I have failed..."

"I would certainly like to," Atton growled down to his darker half, "but a person can't have light without darkness." Jaq froze as Atton stepped away, doing nothing, utter confusion across his face.

"What...why won't you? You, Jedi, kill me!"

"No, Jaq, I will not. The Atton I know can't be Atton without you." Kiray, too, stepped away, and Jaq rose, anger boiling around him.

"I _must_ die! I have failed my master, my Revan..." Jaq moaned, gingerly touching his nose, and tears rising in his eyes. _So that's where Atton gets it..._

"No, you will not die. Revan is effectively dead, so you can't answer to her," Kiray said, lightly touching Jaq's shoulder. "But there is something I would ask of you..."

"Ask it, and I will do it. I have nothing now..."

"You do have something, Jaq. You have Atton, and, as Atton, you have me," Kiray assured him, and Atton affirmed it with a nod. "Now, I want you to get into the mercenary camp. Try and get some of them to see reason, maybe pick up any intel they have on Azkul. If and when they strike, you have to strike their flank. If I remember right, you were quite a powerhouse of destruction when you wanted to be." Jaq allowed himself a lopsided grin and nodded.

"I guess I oughta get goin' then. And, uh, sorry about your lightsaber..." Jaq apologized, handing the other half of Kiray's now-destroyed lightsaber, and the tiny fragments of her cyan crystal, over to its rightful owner. Kiray took a deep breath and tossed them aside.

"I can manage without one for awhile. And Jaq?" Kiray said, stopping Jaq at the doorway. He stopped, looking back at her with red-brown eyes. "Good luck."

He smiled and gave her a two-fingered salute before jogging out, and Atton frowned slightly. "I don't know if this is a good idea, Kiray, sending him right back to the scum he belongs in."

"Atton, you and him got along, no matter how violently, for quite an amount of time," Kiray said as the others emerged, Bao-Dur holding a datapad, and the historian looking even more confused than before. "Bao, let me look at that. You, take him back to Khoonda, ask to see Visas and Brianna." She nodded towards Atton, and the historian cringed a little. "Oh, and you'll have to tell me your proper name so I don't have to say 'you' all the time," Kiray added, and Atton gave the historian a grin very similar to Jaq's as they made their way out before Atton could be heard boldly asking, "Soooo, what are you best at: fighting, drinking, or playing pazaak?"

Kiray had to stifle her laughter as the historian and Atton departed from earshot, and Kiray looked over the datapad. Her cheerful manner quickly fell away as she read the 'pad, and, if anything, she became a little more uncomfortable.

"We won't find Vrook here."

"_What?!_" Mandalore burst. "We came all this way into the Enclave to find nothing?!"

"We found Atton," Bao-Dur put in, eyebrows creased, "and that historian fellow. He might be able to tell us a few things we did not know before."

"Well, where _is_ Vrook, anyways?" Mandalore asked, turning back to Kiray, who kept looking over the datapad.

"According to this, Azkul ordered these mercs to capture Vrook and take him down to the crystal caves on the opposite end of the Khoonda plains," Kiray said as they kept walking, ignoring the dead laigreks. "So we might as well head down there."

"Sounds like it. And you'll be able to get a new focusing crystal for yet another lightsaber," Bao-Dur said coolly as they rounded a corner. Kiray grinned at him and shrugged.

"Well, I can say that this old war dog might take a breather," Mandalore grumbled. "I think I might head back for the ship. Besides, if there's still kinrath in there, I sure as hell ain't goin' into those caves." With that, Mandalore started traipsing back towards Khoonda, leaving Bao-Dur and Kiray just outside the Enclave.

"I think all our Jedi compatriots might want a little practice," Kiray said as she pulled out her comlink. "I think Mandalore, HK, and the historian may be good enough of a guard for Atton, don't you think?"

"Yes, it certainly will be. I'll stay around, General, if that's all right with you."

"Of course, Bao. I don't mind having you around at all. And Bao?"

"Yes, General?"

"You can stop calling me General."

"Old habit. Most likely it'll die hard at some point or another." Kiray laughed, and the two veterans continued across the plains as the sun set over Dantooine, and, for the second time that day, they were being watched.

Revan was down beneath her favorite tree, where she and Malak used to hang out when they weren't busy training or just wanted to chill somewhere relatively private. This was where she first felt the Force again, where she swore to be the best Jedi there could be...and where she first kissed Carth...Carth, now an Admiral, Carth, who waited and waited and waited for her for five agonizing years...Carth, who had helped her through the most difficult times of her life, saving her from death twice...

She wiped her eyes, trying to push Carth out of her thoughts, but they were so calming, so soothing when it all became too much.

_"I think I could love you, Jak, if you gave me the chance."_ Those had been his very words, so long ago...before she was Revan, before the Star Forge, before she became a heroine of the Republic. She stood and turned, clutching her lightsaber, and, letting the calm of Carth's phantom presence wash over her, she executed her newest signature move...the violet blades moved so quickly, she had no idea how it happened...and then, when the active lightsaber returned to her side, the tree that had been a landmark in her life now fell in two pieces, like the two fragments of her life: Revan, and Jak.

_Oh, Carth, where are you, to tell me who I am? Am I Jak, am I Revan, am I both or neither?_ Tears fell down her face as she pulled out her last vestige of her old life: the mask, the dark mask she had worn when the dark side consumed her. She carefully set the mask up among the fallen branches, and, walking away a few steps, threw her lightsaber back at the mask, and the black metal fell in pieces in the grass.

"I am _not_ Revan," she whispered as the blood-red sun fell behind her, casting a long shadow of her, reaching to the mask fragments, and she could hear the laughter, her laughter, as worlds burned and millions died...

"I AM _NOT_ REVAN!" she screamed, and a blast of ice blew out in a radius of five meters. She crumpled in the grass, pulling up a few strands and throwing them down again. "I...am...Jak...Donar. I am...a Jedi...the best...the Prodigal Knight...I will not...give in..._I will not give in!_"

Tears began falling, and she quietly pleaded, "Carth, oh, Force, Carth, forgive me...forgive us all...for what I've done...for what I'm going to do..."

She cried herself to sleep that night.


	37. Making a Fortress

CHAPTER XXXVI: Making a Fortress

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"Remind me," Mira grumbled as they (Kiray, Bao-Dur, Visas, Brianna, Lonna Vash, and herself) marched down a grassy slope towards a dark nook in the plateau walls, "exactly _why_ we're going into these caves supposedly filled with kinrath and probably mercenaries?"

"One, so we can get Vrook out of there," Kiray answered, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck as they walked, "and two, to get a new crystal for my next lightsaber. And maybe get some practicing in along the way." Mira chuckled a little at Kiray's explanation and shrugged.It seemed to Kiray that everyone was more than a little stir-crazy; when she had returned to the ship to get all the Jedi, she had found Mira arguing with HK about the best way to hunt, kill, or capture a target. More than a little unnerving was Brianna talking with Kahned quietly in the corner; Kiray still held to Brianna's and Visas's warnings, and had also asked him to keep watch over Atton, although nervously.

"Here we are," Lonna said as they stopped just outside the cave. It was very strong in the Force; it was almost tangible in the air as Kiray peered into the tunnel. "Who wants to go cave crawling first?" Brianna instantly took two steps away, followed by a rushed glide from Visas and a couple of wide strides from Bao-Dur, which left only Kiray, Lonna, and Mira directly in front of the cave.

"I'm not scared," Mira affirmed with a nod, and Kiray gave Lonna a grin before turning to the others.

"All right, if you want to be scared, then stay out here. Me, Lonna, and Mira will take the cave," Kiray said, and the trio descended into the darkness. The other three exchanged glances between each other, to the cave, and back to each other before running after them.

The cave was pitch-black, and near-impossible to see except for strips of luminous rock in the cave's walls, aided by various-colored lightsabers and a glowrod Kiray held up as a lantern. Moisture dripped from the ceiling, making sizzling noises when they hit the energy blades, and causing Kiray to blink when a trickle of water rolled down into her eyes.

"Glad that you could drop in," Kiray said in approval when the other three appeared. Staring at her companion's faces glowing with a rainbow of lights (Brianna's silver; Visas's crimson; Mira's a fiery orange; Lonna's golden yellow; Bao-Dur a combination, since he was lacking a lightsaber), she nodded and said, "Let's go." They slowly walked down a path, immediately coming across a series of kinrath spiders. Brianna leaped to the farthest while Visas charged the middle one, and Mira and Bao-Dur combined an effort to take out the closest one. Lonna closed her eyes and focused; a faint green cloud appeared around their allies, and, as Lonna made another pass of battle meditation, Kiray sent up a Force storm that lit up the tunnel in white light spiked with blue. The bright electricity blinded the kinrath long enough for final blows to be dealt, and they quickly moved on.

There were more scattered throughout the passage, finding a route that would take them around the mercenaries' hole and explore deeper. At the end was a large cave filled with glowing crystals. All of them gasped and awe at the glittering colors on the dull rock wall, and Kiray nearly dropped her glowrod.

"I can sense her..." she breathed, closing her eyes to focus better. "Revan was here; and not too long ago."

"This would be a good place to meditate; providing that the kinrath were driven out," Lonna said, looking into a blue-streaked crystal formation. Everyone dissipated to analyze the crystals, and Kiray climbed up the low hill to the largest and most beautiful. It seemed to be quivering with excitement, and when Kiray pressed her hand to the cool crystal, she felt a jolt of the Force before being thrown back wildly, landing in a small pool of water.

They all stopped and stared at the crystal, which kept shaking and humming violently. Kiray was able to get on her feet and grab onto a pillar of stone before the crystal seemed to explode: there was a bright flash of light, and seven large crystal fragments spun out from it, all towards someone. Two crystals fell into the ground at Kiray's feet, one a deep navy blue, the other glowing viridian. The crystal at Lonna's feet shone an even brighter yellow than her blade; Mira's an even more violent orange with hints of red; Visas's a deep wine red; Brianna's silver so bright that it could have been white. Bao-Dur stared at his crystal in shock, which was a beautiful blue-violet, as did everyone else.

"Bao...is there something you want to tell us?" Kiray asked, staring at the Zabrak's crystal as he picked it up.

"I don't know, General...what does this mean?"

"It means," Visas breathed, "that you are Force-sensitive. You have indeed known Kiray longer than any of us..."

"It still doesn't mean that I am," Bao-Dur replied, but kept glancing over at Kiray, who was just as amazed as he was. "Why did you get two?"

Kiray stared down at the twin crystals, and saw that the blue was far brighter; it was the crystal tuned to her, she guessed. "One is for me," she said, looking up. "The other is for Atton."

They quickly stowed away their crystals and began doubling back, this time down towards the cave with mercenaries and Master Vrook. Kiray looked around the lip of the cave at him, and thought, _He still has a nose like a hawk-bat, even after all these years!_

"How do we do this? Charge on in? Draw 'em out? Throw grenades while blasting them?" Mira asked, obviously excited at actually getting to something. Kiray instantly decided to keep her away from HK for awhile.

"Let's go plan A," Kiray replied, feeling the lightning crackling in her fist. They quickly strode in, and, even before the lead merc could speak, Kiray released the energy build-up, charring most of the mercenaries guarding Vrook, who watched impassively as the group of Jedi took down the remaining mercs with relative speed before deactivating the force cage.

"You again, is it? Always rushing into things, not realizing the consequences," Vrook muttered. Kiray thought, _Yeah, he's still Vrook._ Lonna frowned and stormed right up to face Vrook.

"And you're still as distrusting as you ever were, Vrook! She has just saved you from being turned in on Nar Shaddaa for that bounty!" Lonna growled, jabbing a finger into Vrook's chest, whose scowl grew even more sour.

"You are just as blinded as she! As long as I was being held by the mercenaries, they would not attack Khoonda, and now they will with such speed that it will dwarf how quickly Revan went to fight in the Mandalorian Wars!" Vrook growled. Mira seemed offended for Kiray, and stormed up to meet Vrook herself.

"Let me tell you somethin'. If the mercs didn't attack Khoonda while you were held in that frakking force cage, then they would have when you were shipped off to Nar Shaddaa so they could collect on the bounty, and with a hell of a lot more firepower than they obviously do now!" Mira shouted, shaking her fist and fire sparking in her green eyes. Kiray stepped forward and stopped Mira before she drove Vrook over the edge.

"How much time do we have?" she asked. If it was enough time to get some parts together, she could have her next lightsaber ready before the assault.

"A day, at most. The mercenaries will want to make sure that they have a full fighting force ready to attack," Vrook answered, his dark eyes on Kiray, who nodded.

"It's enough time to fortify Khoonda and get everyone ready," Brianna recommended, and Kiray grinned. She was ready for this; if anything, she had been ready since she'd landed here.

"I will head for Khoonda and warn Adare," Vrook said, pulling out his lightsaber. "Follow me as quickly as possible." With that, the Jedi Master ran out of the cave, and Kiray suddenly leaped into commander mode.

"Mira, Brianna, Lonna, I want you three to stay with him," Kiray ordered. "Make sure he reaches Khoonda safely and start building up Khoonda's defense. Visas, Bao, we'll follow a little later to clean up after them and get back to Khoonda before the attack starts. By the time we get there, I want everyone, and I mean _everyone_, battle ready."

"Wait a sec...everyone?" Mira asked in disbelief. Kiray grinned and nodded.

"Everyone. Even the droids."

"Whoa...all right, we'll do it. Let's get rolling!" Mira lead the three women out of the cave and back into the cave's passages. Visas explored the niche a little, and Kiray looked over to Bao-Dur, who had pulled out his crystal and was staring at it again.

"Bao? Are you all right?"

"I...I don't know, General," Bao-Dur replied, glancing over at Kiray. "I feel like...like there's been a change in me, ever since I found you on Telos. It's been coming on so slowly, I don't think I noticed until the crystal came to me." The Zabrak put the crystal back onto his belt before he continued, "Having you around again has had an affect on me, General. I joined the war out of hatred, and it's been in my life for so long...but now it's ebbing away, just going too far out of reach, and fading."

"Are you saying that...that I have had some affect on this? That I've drawn the hatred and all those feelings you had in the Wars –"

"Away?" Bao-Dur finished for her, and he nodded. "Yes, I think you have. You gave me enough trust to believe in me, and tell me the truth about you...and I accept it. And...if training to be a Jedi can make sure I don't hate anymore, that it stays out of my system, will you?"

"Bao-Dur, I never thought you'd ask," Kiray said, smiling at her old friend. "Now, I want you to close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just do it, Bao. This takes time." Bao-Dur closed his eyes without another question.

"Now...imagine how you were during the Wars. Find a river of calm there. Dive into it, and wash away all the anger, all the hate you have harbored for so long. Now, imagine how you are now; you're calm, at peace. You know what you want, and you have an idea on how to accomplish it." Kiray watched as Bao-Dur took a long, slow breath, and Kiray felt the Force begin to trickle in him...and then exploded, not quite a much as it had when Atton had opened his Force reserves, but with an equal amount of force.

"General...thank you..." Bao-Dur gave Kiray a nod before tossing aside his sword and pulling out a lightsaber hilt. "Atton asked for a spare, in case something should happen to one of his other ones. I decided to hang onto this for him. But now, I think I oughta make this one rightfully mine." Bao-Dur carefully pulled off a tiny panel and put in his crystal before returning the plate to its rightful place. Kiray watched as Bao-Dur held the lightsaber out way from him, closed his eyes...

Then came the familiar _snap-hiss_ of a lightsaber activating, and Kiray gasped at the beautiful, gleaming blue-violet blade that stretched out from Bao-Dur's lightsaber. The Zabrak opened his eyes, and his mouth had dropped in surprise.

"Great job, Bao," Kiray complimented as they reached the mouth of the cave and departed into the overcast day. However, standing before them, waiting, were seven mercenaries, one of them Kiray knew all too well. His black hair and pale skin were new features, but one milky-white eye and the look of pure hatred across his face allowed Kiray to recognize Azkul.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kiray Fett, Cassus's exiled daughter," Azkul spat in welcome. Kiray balled her fists at the sight of him, and she could sense Visas and Bao-Dur readying lightsabers. Kiray minutely shook her head as Azkul continued, "I heard that you had joined the Jedi, but doubted it until I saw you on Dxun. Killing your own fellows...I expect the Jedi did not take kindly to your murdering of your own people?"

"That's none of your business, _chakaar_," Kiray said, restraining herself from saying anything even worse. Azkul gave her a smile, which boded very badly for her and her friends.

"I was even more surprised when someone from Revan's army came into my camp, saying he wanted to join us," Azkul started. "Of course, I welcome any help I can get, but then I noticed he was talking to too many men." Azkul stepped aside to reveal the mercs behind him, holding up a bloody and beaten Jaq, who was unceremoniously thrown to the ground. Kiray helped pick him up to his feet, and Kiray frowned at Azkul.

"I always thought you were insane in some manner," Kiray growled and Jaq hobbled to steady himself on a plateau wall, muttering under his breath and cleaning up his wounds. Azkul simply grinned all the broader.

"Now, now, no need for a temper. I just have a simple offer."

"Whatever it is, the answer's no." Azkul's expression flickered a little before swiftly regaining his composure. He strode up to Kiray and ever so lightly stroked her face. Kiray flinched, and Jaq, whose nose was still bleeding profusely, growled something under his breath, and started going for his blaster. Kiray caught his eye and shook her head, carefully sending a thought: _Don't do anything rash. The only one who needs to die is him._

Both Jaq and Atton, far off in Khoonda, sent a minute confirmation, and Jaq's gun hand slowly relaxed. Azkul turned the stroke into a powerful slap, but Kiray shielded the force of the blow enough off into the Force that she remained standing, and focused an electrical shock up from her face to Azkul's hand. The mercenary hissed as the shock hit his fingertips, and Kiray cracked, "Careful; high voltage." Both Bao-Dur and Visas grinned, and Jaq replied, "Couldn't have said it better myself!"

"Shut up, you fools! All of you!" Azkul roared, some of his men cracking up at Kiray's joke. Azkul turned back to Kiray and growled, "Well, then you don't deserve to hear my offer anyways. Men, kill them. I have an assault to plan." With that, Azkul vanished, and the six mercenaries traded looks.

"Actually, we ain't interested in killin' you," one said, sheathing his vibrosword. "We're here only 'cause Jaq persuaded Azkul into letting us come." Kiray looked over at Jaq, who was grinning despite his bloody nose.

"You said get back-up."

"I know I did," Kiray answered. Well, six highly trained mercenaries would be very good back-up indeed. Without another word, the group of ten charged off for Khoonda, finding several people at work; T3 was installing mines nearby, and hooted a greeting as they charged past; Goto and HK were patching up some turrets, and Kiray sensed that someone, most likely Lonna, was near the back door, locking it down to slow down any enemy advances.

Kiray lead the group into Khoonda, and the six mercs took up positions near the door as the other four went to Adare's office, finding Mira, Vrook, Atton, and a couple of militia men in there with Adare.

"You finally made it!" Mira said, sounding exhausted. "We've been working our tails off to get this place like a fortress, and getting everyone combat ready is no mean feat."

"How's everything going?" Kiray asked, turning her attention to the others. Atton ran his hand through his hair, obviously at a loss for words, and Jaq drew him off to the side. _Probably to figure out some kind of truce once we get them back together._

"Very well, actually," Adare began. "Your friends have done an excellent job; I think you noticed your droids fixing the turrets and placing more mines as you returned. Your historian has been stitching up our militia corps, so we will be relatively able to have a first line of defense before they invade here."

"I even got their droids up and running," Mira put in, positively beaming. Kiray gave her a smile and a nod as a gruff-looking man stepped up.

"Zherron, the militia captain," he introduced himself. "Most of everything's set, so we can go over the battle plans if you want."

"How much time will we have afterwards?"

"'Bout six, seven hours," Jaq replied. "Five if Azkul's a couple of steps ahead, but I doubt it." That would give Kiray plenty of time to make a new lightsaber, if she hurried. Kiray glanced back at Zherron and nodded.

"Let's do it."


	38. Lessons and Fights

CHAPTER XXXVII: Lessons and Fights

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Two hours after finalizing the battle plan with Zherron, and one hour after night had fallen, Kiray was busy assembling her lightsaber. Again.

It got infinitely difficult to build a lightsaber from scratch; everything had to be just so, in an exact balance. Kiray had managed to get the lens and emitter all set, but the power cell was proving immensely tricky. She'd pirated a power pack from an unused blaster, and was trying to wire it up to use the pack. Despite her good knowledge on getting things to work, she was hitting dead end after dead end, and Kiray was sorely tempted to just call it quits. Kiray shoved the assembly onto a desk and decided to crash on the cot, and she fell asleep.

Like a shadow, someone crept through a window, and, after making sure Kiray was asleep, the shadow headed for the desk. Revan slowly tugged off her hood, and, after glancing around suspiciously, started reworking Kiray's makeshift power cell. Her deft hands quickly uncrossed wires and nodes, and quickly finished. She put all the pieces together and, adding the gleaming blue crystal, slid in all into Kiray's new hilt and tightened everything into order. Revan shot Kiray one last glance, and quickly deposited a crystal next to the finished lightsaber, a roughly credit-sized white gem, and quickly left back through the window. She paused, and looked back at Kiray.

"Good luck, Talmara; you'll need it." With that, Revan quickly vanished into the night.

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Kiray awoke to the sounds of rushed military men outside in the corridor, and she stood up, sparing a short glance to the desk. She stopped when she saw the completed lightsaber and the small white crystal, and she slowly picked them up. _Who could've...not anyone I know, that would be impossible,_ Kiray mused, turning the lightsaber over in her hands before hooking it onto her belt and pocketing the crystal. Mira opened Kiray's door, and gave her a short salute.

"Azkul and his men are on approach, and Zherron's getting the men together," the huntress reported as Kiray threw her robe over her shoulders and stuck her arms down the sleeves. "I've got HK and Mandalore covering the back ways in, and everyone else is taking up posts in the hallways with the other men."

"What about the men that'll be out on the plains? Do we have anyone backing them up?" Kiray asked as she followed Mira out. Mira shook her head even as they headed outdoors.

"Zherron figured that the turrets and mines will thin out the ranks some," Mira explained as the men lined up, and Zherron appeared behind them.

"We're all set. Now we're just waiting." Kiray looked over the men, and she could see the fear in their eyes...someone had to make them fight to their fullest.

"Can I speak to the men a bit?" she asked, and both Zherron and Mira stared at her in shock. Slowly, Zherron nodded as Mira shook her head, and Kiray stepped out in front of them, head held high.

"Men of Khoonda, listen!" she began. "Today, we fight against mercenary forces that wish to take Dantooine from the people who have lived here before they came, thirsting for blood. They wish to see this beautiful place burn under their fires. That I will never allow! Look at each other! Today, you and he may fight together, and maybe die together, but remember that it is in defense of your homes and family, for their future. Today, we fight for the future of Dantooine! Khoonda shall never fall while I am living! Do you stand with me?" There was a tremendous roar from the ranks, and even Mira threw her fist into the air. "Good! Now we fight!"

There was another roar, and the men turned to take up positions, waiting for Azkul's men to appear. Kiray went back inside with Mira, and waited.

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"What're you up to?" Atton asked, watching Jaq in slight fear as the darker man disconnected their unconscious body from the medical equipment. Jaq glanced over at Atton once he had finished.

"We're lucky that we passed out after the whole thing at the Enclave," Jaq said, moving the stuff aside. "You remember what's resting deep down, the thing we both don't want to see come out. That means we have to get back together right now, before it gets the opportunity."

"But the battle's going to start any second! Kiray's going to need our help holding off the mercs!"

"Atton, she's a Weapon Master. I wouldn't worry too much." Jaq finished moving the chairs aside, and stood on one side as Atton slowly came up on the other. They stared at each other right as the alarms started blaring, and their body twitched ever so slightly. Jaq started, waiting, while Atton took a hard grip on the bedstead, and gleaming yellow eyes opened to look up at both of them and start growling audibly.

"He's awake, move it!" Jaq shouted, starting to clamber onto the thrashing, awake body that wasn't entirely Atton Rand, but was, and Atton leaped onto his back, and they both pushed as hard as possible. The dark animal beneath them howled as Jaq penetrated, and starting going down with a flare of light, and Atton started to descend, and felt a hard pash in his back. He turned, ever so slightly, and saw a beautiful, and very familiar, woman, shoving him back into his body.

"_Revan?!_"

"Atton, get in, before things get out of hand, hurry!" Revan ordered, pushing hard, and Atton felt himself fall back into his body...

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Kiray growled as Azkul came at her again, and again. He was too strong, something was leeching strength to him. Kiray knew she should have beaten him a while ago, but he kept coming, pushing her towards the med bay.

"You can't kill me!" Azkul grinned, continuing to push Kiray back. "You have failed, and once I kill you, I will kill the one who tried to turn my men against me."

"Never! I'll get you before then!" Kiray barked, trying again to shock him, but he just brushed the lightning storm away with his sword, and the next thing Kiray knew was a powerful kick in the stomach, followed by a slash across her face. She collapsed outside the med bay, her skin burning...there had been Devaronian blood-poison on that blade. Azkul laughed as Kiray struggled to summon the Force, but it had gone...she had drained her reserve.

"And now, Kiray Fett, traitor of you own people, murderer of Mando'ade, you will die!" Azkul roared, hefting his blade high. Kiray squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the deathblow...but instead heard a lightsaber come crashing into Azkul's blade, and Kiray cracked her eyes open to see a stream of viridian above her.

"Atton!" Kiray cried as Atton Rand came out of the med bay, holding Azkul's blade at bay before using the Force to fling him at the wall. There was a sickening crunch, and Azkul collapsed on the floor, limp and unmoving. Atton deactivated his lightsaber and came down to Kiray's side.

"I'm here, Kir, it's over," he whispered, embracing her, and Kiray held him tight; Atton was back, and she couldn't have been happier. Mira came around the corner, along with Vrook and Lonna, and when they saw Azkul lying there, dead, Vrook went off to mop up the remaining mercenaries while Lonna and Mira came up behind Atton and Kiray.

"Good to see you in one piece, Atton," Mira said, and the other two quickly separated, Kiray blushing, and they slowly stood up.

"Well, now that Azkul's dead, we've got the mercenaries starting to turn tail. I don't think we'll have to worry about them attacking Khoonda again," Lonna commented with a smile as they turned to see the last of the mercenaries run, and people were cheering as he left. The door to Adare's office opened, and the administrator came out, smiling widely.

"Excellent, I'm glad the mercenaries are defeated!" Adare said coolly. Kiray gave Adare a tight smile as Adare continued, "I cannot thank you and your crew enough for your aid. We shall set to work rebuilding right away." With that, Adare moved off, and Vrook came up in her place. Kiray stiffened a little bit, and, amazingly, the crotchety old Master gave her a small smile.

"Khoonda is safe because of you. I guess exile has been better to you than I expected," Vrook stated. "If there is anything you want to know, I'll answer."

"Nothing...well...is there anything you could teach me?" Vrook's smile grew very slightly, and they quickly moved off to a more open area, and the Master activated his lightsaber.

"A defensive form you might find helpful against blasters, Shien, form six, can also improve a chance of a critical hit," Vrook explained as one of the militia was suddenly pressed into fighting against a lightsaber and Vrook demonstrated. Kiray watched as Vrook kept explaining Shien, until they started battering each other, in Shien.

"I don't know _what_ you've been doing, but you learned that amazingly fast," Vrook complimented, and Kiray beamed before the blow came: "But it's sloppy, but that's nothing that some good practice can't remedy. I'll remain here until you get all the Masters back together, and we will discuss what to do. I will see you, Kiray." With that, Vrook vanished, and Kiray sighed.

"That's three down and one to go," she commented while they hiked back to the _Hawk_. "I don't think Onderon would be all too friendly if we popped back up, so I think we should investigate Korriban."

"I would be careful, Kiray," Lonna warned. "Korriban has suddenly become infested with Sith again, and I barely escaped myself. But it's your choice, not mine." Kiray shrugged, and they clambered up the boarding ramp. Kahned came around the corner, and he nearly shoved Kiray into a wall.

"How many more are we taking on, huh? This bucket's starting to get too crowded for its own good!" he growled, and Kiray frowned up at her brother, her amber and brown eyes burrowing into his dark eyes.

"We'll take as many that want to come along, even if it means taking on a whole fleet of ships," Kiray replied. "And I'll appreciate it if you'll let me go." Kahned rumbled, but he stepped back while Kiray straightened her robe.

"Kahned, yes, I know, this ship is getting full, but each person on this ship has a helpful skill. There's Atton, who has quite a few skills; Mira, who can find people with ease; Bao-Dur, a mechanical genius, and everyone else. If you can't stand all these people helping out, then you can just go back to Dxun!" Kiray and Kahned stared at each other for a few seconds before Kahned stormed off for the other end of the ship.

"Somethin' up?" Atton asked, watching Kahned march off, but was ignored until Kiray appeared. "What's his problem?"

"He's complaining about the ship getting full," Kiray sighed, falling into the co-pilot's chair as Atton settled into the pilot's seat. "I don't blame him at all."

"Neither do I, but he does have a point. Can't we dump someone on Korriban?"

"NO." Atton smirked at Kiray's response as she got up and fiddled with the galaxy map until the coordinates for Korriban appeared. She sat back down as Atton began the preflight checks, and got an intriguing idea.

"Kiray?"

"What now, Atton?"

"You know how to fly a ship?" Kiray paused, and stared at the controls. To be truthful, she had never flown a ship, unless one counted a Basilisk war-droid in assorted mock battles and training simulations.

"No...I'm more used to commanding them than flying them myself." Atton chuckled and scooted back in his chair, making a space roughly large enough to accommodate Kiray.

"Now's a good time. I'm free to teach; shouldn't be a problem," Atton offered, moving towards the space. Kiray eyed it, and him, a little reluctantly before getting up and sitting in front of him, his controls in front of her. Kiray nearly stood up, but Atton held her down. "Nuh-uh, you're not getting out of this that easy. Now..."

He gently took her hands and put them on the handles. Kiray nearly bucked again, but she held herself down as Atton carefully guided her through takeoff, and, once they were a few miles from the ground, simply told her to take them out of the atmosphere.

Kiray gingerly began to fly, and, despite her fear, had to admit that this was fun. She was able to get them out of Dantooine's gravity well, and Atton pulled the lever that took them into hyperspace, off for Korriban. Kiray beamed up at him.

"Not bad for your first time," Atton said, smiling. Kiray snuggled into his chest, and she felt his arms slowly come around her. She closed her eyes, holding his wrists, and felt herself falling asleep.

"Thanks...I didn't think I could do it," she muttered, and she felt Atton lightly kiss the top of her head.

"Nah; you got it from me, I think." Kiray smiled, and let the darkness take her into a peaceful rest.


	39. Power Couplings and Sith Academies

CHAPTER XXXVIII: Power Couplings and Sith Academies

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Kiray awoke a few hours later, and smiled up at Atton, who was also asleep, before slowly standing and making her way for the kitchenette on board the _Hawk_. Mira appeared out of her storage cell, her eyes glittering knowingly.

"So, you and Atton were up in the cockpit..._alone?_" Mira started, and Kiray started a little. The Mandalorian Jedi eyed the former-Mandalorian-bounty-huntress-now-Jedi curiously as the two of them reached the kitchen, and Kiray continued ignoring Mira as she threw together some breakfast.

"So? What did you two _do_ up there?' Mira asked, and this time, Kiray stopped dead.

"Don't know what you mean, Mira," Kiray replied as she poured herself some caf and sat down. Mira's smile grew a little wider as she sat down across from Kiray.

"Oh, _come on, _you know what I mean!" Mira leaned in closer while Kiray took a sip of her caf and whispered conspiratorially, "_Did you and Atton...you know, hook up a power coupling?_"

Kiray spat her caf all over the table, her breakfast, AND Mira in shock. "What the fierfek are you getting at, Mira?!" Kiray asked incredulously, and Mira's eyes went as wide as Kiray had ever seen them.

"How can you _not_ know what I'm getting at, Kir? I mean –"

"It was a rhetorical question, Mira!" Kiray barked, jabbing her fork at Mira. "And, for your information, Atton and I did NOT _do_ anything; he was teaching me how to fly the ship!" Mira's eyes were wide enough to match up with the bottom of Kiray's mug of caf as the Mandalorian took a gulp and finished, "Besides, mine and Atton's 'power coupling', as you _so_ eloquently put it, has been hooked since Telos, which was roughly...two or three months ago." With that, Kiray stormed out of the kitchen and marched for the women's dorm (where Visas was often found) to finish a well-earned breakfast.

"You seem on edge," Visas said by way of greeting as Kiray sat down cross-legged on the floor and annoyedly speared at her food.

"Mira being Mira," Kiray sighed, and took stock of people present: Visas: awake and alert; Lonna: asleep. "Where's Brianna? Is she all right?"

"She would not say," Visas replied. "She was up rather early, and has not returned."

"Know where she went?" Visas pointed somewhat helpfully in the direction of the refresher, and Kiray sighed as she shoved aside her breakfast. What was _supposed_ to be a good day was rapidly disintegrating into an extraordinarily bad one.

Kiray skirted the kitchen as she found the 'fresher, and gently rapped on the door. "Brianna? You all right in there?" She was answered by a retching noise, and Kiray carefully opened the door. Brianna was curled up near the toilet, looking even paler than usual, and her usually neat Echani-white hair was a downright mess. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like you've been sick to your stomach ever since waking up."

"I have," Brianna replied delicately as she struggled to sit up. "It is most likely something I ate on Dantooine reacting poorly with my digestion." Kiray eyed her beadily, and Brianna sighed as Kiray closed the door and crouched down to look her eye to eye.

"Brianna, there's something up, and there's no point lying about it," Kiray said. "We may not have gotten along, or gotten sisterly, but I still trust you to be straight up with you. I expect the same amount of trust with you." Brianna slowly gave her a nod, and took a deep breath.

"It's...it's Kahned. He and I got along well...very well, in fact. I deceived myself into thinking I was in love with him." Kiray raised _both_ her eyebrows at that, but said nothing while Brianna continued on, "Just before Dxun, he and I...well, I believe you can envision what we shared. And now..."

Kiray gently reached across the room and embraced her sudden sister-in-law. "I understand, Brianna. I will tell no one of what you have told me, not even Atton. This will strictly be between us."

"Thank you, sister. Your trust in me is admirable, and I shall not waste it," Brianna answered, and the two shared a smile as Kiray stood and left Brianna alone. _I'm going to be an aunt! How strange...but I like the sound of "Aunt Kiray"..._

"Korriban in five!" Atton's voice called over the coms, and Kiray braced herself as Atton brought them out of hyperspace in five seconds _exact_. There were assorted shouts of surprise at the sudden deceleration, but Atton brought the ship down smoothly as everyone congregated in the main hold. Atton stretched as the hologram of Korriban appeared. "Well, here we are, this is Korriban."

"Well, we have our Jedi Master!" Mira joked, nodding towards a groggy-looking Lonna Vash. "So, let's get on back to Onderon so we can get Kavar out!"

"Not until he calls to tell us its safe," Kiray said. "In the meantime, it might be interesting to poke around a little."

"Count me out!" Mira said before retiring to her storage compartment.

"I'm in," Atton said with a smile, and Kiray shot one back to him. Lonna stepped up with a determined expression, as did the historian fellow and Visas. Kiray tossed the historian some spare armor and a vibrosword as they headed out into the harsh sunlight of Korriban.

"All these bodies...these must be corpses of the Sith when Revan came to entirely remove the Sith presence from the galaxy before she vanished," the historian muttered as he examined a nearby corpse. Kiray rolled her eyes at him; despite his usefulness as a historian, and the odd feeling of _knowing_ him already, Kiray was somewhat uneasy around him, but she continued moving along, up the valley until Kiray stopped at the entrance of a very dark cave.

"This place teems with the dark side," Lonna said warily. "I never ventured in there myself, but it would be worthy of exploration later."

"It festers with a hidden power; power that would be great, if harnessed," Visas commented, and Atton scoffed.

"A powerful _stench_, more like," he cracked, waving his hand in front of his nose as if dissipating a very bad smell. "Like old juma: nasty." Kiray chuckled a little at that, but passed the cave to explore later, and they made their way further up to what remained of the Sith Academy, which was headed by several tuk'ata that were swiftly taken care of before the five of them stood before the door, which was wide open.

"There is much death ahead; but some answers that we might seek," Visas said warily. Kiray felt goosebumps rising on the back of her neck as she tightened her grip on her lightsaber.

"I don't know about you guys," Atton muttered, "but I have a _bad_ feeling about this..."

"Well, we're not getting anywhere by just standing here," Kiray said, and she crossed the threshold first, closely followed by Atton, Lonna, Visas, and the historian.

_CUTSCENE:_

_He was at the center of the Academy, meditating, when __**she **__came in. Using the Force, he closed and sealed the Academy entrance before standing. Two Sith assassins came up on his left and right, and he slowly pointed down the corridor she would be coming up from._

_"__**She**__...has arrived."_

There were three tuk'ata waiting for them, and after those were dispatched, there was...nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. Kiray was extremely on edge, and couldn't help but feel as if something was very wrong. Her unease was reflected with Atton, and, a little nauseatingly, the historian. Very slowly, they proceeded through the empty Academy, which, five years previously, had been crawling with hopeful Sith.

"This is odd," Lonna whispered, as if she weren't willing to break the dark, brooding silence. "There were many assassins here last I recall; now they've...vanished."

"Let's just hope they _don't_ pop up while we're here," Atton said, but still, the tension could have been cut with a lightsaber. Kiray wandered into the dormitory wing, and, at last, found a computer.

"Wait," Lonna said, cutting before Kiray to get at the console. "I set up my own account; things are too odd around here, and I would much rather get out of here as soon as possible." Kiray watched over Lonna's shoulder, and started when she found a status message reading FRONT DOOR SEALED.

"Well, that won't do at all," Lonna muttered, and Kiray watched in wonder as Lonna simply tapped a few keys and the message changed to FRONT DOOR OPEN. "Much better."

"Master Lonna, you're a genius. Now let's get out of here; I'm starting to feel something wrong, too," Kiray said, and they ran back towards the entrance, but they stopped dead in the central area, where stood three people: two Sith assassins, and one heavily scarred and mangled man.

"Oh, _shit_," Atton muttered, right as Kiray spat, "_Osik!_" Darth Sion took three steps forward, right in front of Kiray. Kiray fixed him with a glare and flexed her left hand; thank the Force Kreia was gone.

"You should not have come," Sion rumbled, his voice grating. "The call of Korriban is strong; the dark side is powerful here."

"Why're you here, Sion? I wouldn't think you just _happened _to be here the same time I was," Kiray quipped, and she could sense Atton smirk at her thick sarcasm. Sion didn't look impressed; rather, he looked _intrigued_.

"I have come to warn you: there is one you travel with, one close to you," Sion grated. "He will betray you, as his master betrayed me. He is called Trayt, and it would be wise to remove him from your confidence." Kiray frowned.

"Thanks for the tip, but I don't know anyone named Trayt, Sion. Now, if you don't mind –"

"I cannot let you leave this place," Sion growled, "but if you press on, you will give me no choice!" With that, Sion's blood-red lightsaber sprang to life, and he stromed at Kiray, who snapped her own blade up in defense, while Atton came up next to her, trying to score some mark against Sion, and Lonna and the historian each took on an assassin each, while Visas attempted to wear down their foes.

The fight wore on: thrust, parry, counterthrust, slash, block, twirl out of a lock. Atton kept striking from Sion's back, but when Atton was suddenly Force-tossed into a wall, and Kiray felt the ache jar her spine as Sion staggered back, coiled his own spine, and...suddenly, all the marks Kiray and Atton had made upon him changed into more scars.

"We won't be able to stop him!" Lonna called as Kiray staggered to Atton and helped him to his feet.

"Then what do we do?!" the historian yipped, and Kiray nearly tossed him down towards the door out of frustration, as Lonna charged Sion from behind, distracting him from Kiray, Atton, Visas, and the historian. As Sion whirled around, trying to throw Lonna off him, she shouted, "GO! GET OUT, I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!!"

"Master Lonna! No, we're not leaving without you!" Kiray shouted, but Atton was holding her back, pulling her towards the exit, retreating with the historian and Visas. Kiray kept trying to leap forward, help her mentor, even as Lonna was thrown off Sion's back. Kiray could see the blade come soaring down onto Lonna, and she screamed as she saw Lonna fall limp, but Atton kept dragging her away. "NO! NO, LEMME GO! WE _CAN'T_ LEAVE HER!"

"She has sacrificed herself for us, and do you want to die when she has bought us enough time to get out?" Visas asked, uncharacteristically sharp. Kiray was shocked enough that Atton was able to drag her out of the Academy...

_CUTSCENE:_

_He watched them go, her struggling against one of the men. He sighed reluctantly before whispering, "Do not harm her; she has deserved this."_

_"Of course she has, Sion," came the reply, and a black-cloaked figure appeared behind him. Underneath the cloak was a faint flash of scarlet-red, and the eyes that gleamed under the hood were sickly yellow. "But she will be desperate for solitude, and you know where she may go. Then, when she leaves...it will be time for the endgame." The figure vanished, and Sion balled his fists._


	40. Unexpected Aid

CHAPTER XXXIX: Unexpected Aid

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Atton had been forced to literally drag Kiray back to the _Hawk_, and even then had a hard time getting her quiet.

"Kir...she's not coming back! She made sure we could get out alive, because we have to help Kavar and all the other Masters!" He nearly shouted at her, and Kiray struggled against his grip. She was nearly losing it, and if Kiray lost it, _everyone_ would be unnerved for the rest of their time near her.

No one else was being of any help, either. Everyone seemed to have vanished, leaving Kiray as Atton's problem. After thinking for a while, Atton gently laid Kiray, who had fallen asleep from crying, into the co-pilot's seat, and he watched her doze, feeling half-asleep himself, before allowing himself to drop off. Korriban was not being nice to its visitors.

As soon as Atton was asleep, Kiray's eyes flew open, and she slowly stood up. She needed to get Lonna's death off her mind, and for that, she needed to be alone.

Kiray's mind was whirling as she left the _Hawk_, her head hung and heart heavy. Lonna Vash had been her only other supporter back when she was exiled; she had been the one to teach her Basic after a lifetime of speaking Mando'a, and had always been willing to help Kiray understand anything that had confused her. Kiray now wondered how she'd fare in a galaxy that no longer cared for the Mandalorian race if there was no one who could help her make her way.

_Maybe I make my own way, and see where I get,_ Kiray mused as she reached the top of the valley, and slowly looked back. Sometime, she would have to find herself a camera...she saw the most amazing things, and the pictures in her mind faded sometime or another. She turned and walked on, pausing at the cave. It...it seemed to _call_ her, in a sense.

Very slowly, Kiray walked into the dark abyss.

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"Sithspit!" Revan hissed under her breath as she lowered her macrobinoculars. Talmara had _walked into_ the caves! That alone was irksome enough, not considering she was in there _alone_. Now this was going to be bad news.

Revan hadn't counted on Master Vash getting herself killed – _may her soul rest in peace, poor Lonna_ – but she hadn't counted on how hard Talmara had taken it. But the loss was necessary, and Revan gauged as she climbed down the rock face near the caves whether she ought to – _no, you do, and everything's long gone! You show yourself, and there's no knowing –_

Revan stopped at the mouth of the cave, and her right hand whirred a little as the metal fingers slid to her flesh-and-blood hand, gently touching the small ring on her ring finger. It had been there for five years, five _long_ years. On the one hand was duty...on the other...her friends. As always.

Revan balled her hands into fists as she stared into the thick, impenetrable blackness of the cave, and, shrugging off her black cloak, she removed her lightsaber from her belt and walked into the caves.

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The cave's natural chambers and corridors were hollow and empty. Still, Kiray kept her lightsaber in hand, in case something did leap out of the stalactites as she walked through the passages in silence. The near-oppressive cold assailed her heart, and her sorrows grew, but she walked on.

There was a wider cavern at the end of the passage, complete with a deep chasm that was crossed by a natural bridge. Kiray went over it, and found herself turning to the left. She kept walking, until there was a grand doorway before her, carved out of stone. Kiray stared at it for awhile.

The place festered darkly in the Force, and it was just..._there_. She still eyed it, wondering what she was doing here, when she heard a whisper:

_"Jedi..."_

Kiray shook her head a little. It was either be curious and go in, or be cautious and go back. She paused again, and the whispers returned, humming softly, as if calling her. Her brows furrowed over mismatched eyes. There was something wrong here; wrong in the way that she felt like she had been..._summoned_ to this place. It just wasn't _natural_.

_Nor was watching Lonna die,_ Kiray thought to herself, and, very slowly, she walked forward, entering through the doorway.

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"Hell," Revan growled under her breath, a few feet behind Talmara as the other crossed the tomb's threshold. "You're going to lose yourself if you're not careful..."

Of course, _she'd_ know; she'd been here, once, a long time ago. Honestly, if someone had to do _something_, then that someone would always end up being her. _Oh, this is going to be good._

Revan took a few steps forward, putting herself in front of the tomb. The whispers suddenly picked up: "_Revan...Revan..."_

"No, you don't," Revan growled to the whispers, and they backed down almost instantly, repentantly. Revan eyed the door, watching it.

_The trials are coming. She's going to need all the help she can get,_ one part of her said.

_Oh, and what're the chances that while you're _helping_, a certain someone figures out you're back, huh? _Another part quarreled, and Revan muttered aloud, "No one tells me the odds, not even myself!" She balled her fists again, took one deep breath, and crossed the doorway.

It sealed shut behind her.

"Damn," Revan allowed herself to curse before proceeding down the dark corridor, following Talmara's Force-trail.

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The door sealed a few minutes after Kiray had entered, and she instantly felt as if she should _not_ have come this way. But now, she no longer had the option of going back, and that was what _really_ scared her.

_I always had that choice: go forward, or go back. But I never really chose, did I?_ Kiray kept going forward. It was getting steadily colder, like someone was slowly starting to pour ice-cold water down her back, and Kiray involuntarily shivered and rubbed her arms.

Eventually, she reached another door, and it opened, revealing..._no, oh no, not this, it CAN'T be..._

There was Malak, standing in front of four Jedi...and the space in the middle, where she had stood, all those years ago, hearing his words, the call of war...Kiray took a deep breath and took her place, and, instantly, Malak started talking.

"The Mandalorians are striking the Outer Rim, and there is no doubt that they will eventually start striking at the Republic!" he said. "Join Revan and I, and we can stop them before they get in too close!" One Jedi, a blond with brown streaks, strode forward to join Malak.

"I remember this," Kiray muttered, and her old, thick _Mando_ accent slowly flowed off her words. "It was before the Wars...and you came to Coruscant, asking for _Jetii_ to join your cause..."

Malak turned at the sound of her voice, and a predatory smile crawled across his face. "Ah, _you_! I have heard about you, on Dantooine, and your Masters praise you. You will be a great asset, if you join us." Another Jedi, dark-haired and dark-skinned, walked forward to stand next to Malak.

"You hadn't really heard of me," Kiray countered. "You only said that to make me feel like you could be my _vod_, but it was all lies, in the end."

"Lies?! Surely, I would _never _lie!" Malak replied. "The Mandalorians are a constantly increasing threat, and they must be stopped before the come _here_!" The Jedi on Kiray's other side, blond, muscular, strode forward, taking Malak's other side. This left her, and..._Bastila?!_ Of course; she had been there, visiting from Dantooine.

"They would have been stopped," Kiray answered, "yes, and they were, but the cost...the deaths of so many...it wasn't worth it. Genocide is _never_ worth victory."

"It is not _genocide_ to defend our Republic!" Malak barked, and, suddenly, Bastila walked forward, joining Malak. _No...no, that didn't happen..._

"Hang on one _shabla_ minute!" Kiray said loudly, affronted. "Bastila didn't _join_ you; she argued that we all oughta listen to the Council and _wait_!" Malak's smile instantly transformed into a sneer, and Kiray to one cautious step back.

"Of course she did. But _here_, in my power...I can change it all. So...will you join us?"

"I may have joined you once," Kiray growled, "but this _shabla_ war will take too many _shabla_ lives. I will not!" With that, she slammed the activation key, and twin navy blades shot out, pulsing, while Malak and the other Jedi activated their own lightsabers. Kiray's eyes stayed focused on Malak. _Take Malak out first, take them all later._ At that, Kiray instantly threw out a wave of Force energy, directing it at Malak, who barely stumbled while the other Jedi were thrown back, either stunned or they vanished, and Malak charged her.

It was actually _easier_ than she had expected. Kiray had heard that Malak's skill with a lightsaber was only topped by Revan, but, as Malak came at her from different angles and often surprising twists, Kiray always half-expected them, blocking and parrying at the ideal times. It was when _she_ struck, focusing her energy into the blade which made streaks of sky-blue race around the navy, did Malak stagger back in pain, shuddering from her electric focus. He was off-guard when Kiray leaped over him, and, although he parried her thrust, Kiray whirled around, forcing his crimson blade before lashing out with her second end, bringing it down through Malak's shoulder. He shouted in pain, and, slowly, crumpled and faded to nothingness.

Kiray was breathing hard as she deactivated her blade. _I hadn't been expecting a fight in here...there's some power at work here. _Still thinking to herself, she kept moving onward.

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_What in the Nine Hells just happened?!_

Revan had just watched Talamara fight _with thin air_. There was nothing there, nothing present to fight, but she had, and had obviously defeated _something_. A hississ? No, they usually lowered their Force cloak upon attack.

_Whatever it is, I don't like it, not one inch. Things are too much off-balance as it is!_ Silent as a shadow, Revan followed Talmara through more of the empty tomb, until she opened another door, and Revan started when, again, there was nothing, but Talmara was..._interacting _with something.

"The Wars...Dxun...oh, I remember this all too well," Talmara said. There was a long pause. "I told you to go across...we sustained heavy losses, but I thought it would all be worth it, somehow." Revan was privately wondering if Talmara had suddenly gone insane when she waved her hand, as if in dismissal. "No. I'll go first this time...remove the mines. Stay here, and once the mines are disabled, follow me." She vanished from the doorway, and Revan stole towards it, watching Talmara start bending down in the manner of disabling active mines. _What the hell..._she extended her senses, and found..._ohhh, dark side energy, manipulating one, but not the other. Damned Sith spirits._ Revan stayed where she was, and watched Talmara continue across the bridge, until a door opened, revealing..._nothing_.

_She said Dxun. That means...Mandalorians! Oh, Sithspit, this just gets better and better..._

But Talmara, instead of fighting them, was _talking_. Revan crept into the room, behind some rubble, and watched her.

"_Ni Kiray. Tion'cuy?" _ Revan was startled to hear the Mandalorian tongue, but so _accurately_, it was almost scary. "_Ni Mando'ad bal Jetii. Ni ne'copaanir tal'galar._" Had she just said..._I am a Mandalorian and Jedi? I don't want to spill blood?_ Revan watched as Talmara nodded a few times, trading off a few more snatches of Mando'a, before she smiled, and then sighed. _They must have vanished. That's never happened, defeating them without a fight,_ Revan wondered to herself as Talmara passed through the door. She vaulted over the rubble and followed.

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Kiray snaked her way through the vaulted corridors, her mind slowly growing more at ease. It was odd, really. She had faced two events, before and during the Wars, that she had wished she could have changed, and she _had_ changed them. She allowed herself a small smile when she had seen Ruusaan's face when she'd started talking in Mando'a, and was even _more_ pleased when they had left without a fight.

Kiray's happy mood plummeted when she sensed a full dark manifestation appear before her. Slowly, she proceeded forward, and, in the next room, she saw _Kahned_, of all people!

"_Su'cuy, vod_," he greeted her. "You surprise me. I didn't think you'd get this far. But I guess that is your strength." Kiray grew confused; her brother didn't talk like this. She grew even more startled as he continued, "You have faced events from the past, _your_ past, and now, you shall face the present." Suddenly, there were footsteps behind her, and Kiray whirled...

"Don't listen, Kir!" Atton shouted. "He's a Sith in disguise, he's been manipulating all of us!" _What?!_ Kiray was dumbstruck, but, then, Sion's words echoed in her mind: _He is close...and his name is Darth Trayt._ Trayt for traitor: _aruetii._

"Atton, I've had just about enough of you! You think that by cozying up to my sister, you can get away with anything! I've _had it!_" Kahned roared, and a scarlet lightsaber leaped to life in his hands.

"_Gev!_ Stop it! We have to get along if we want to get out of here, stop fighting!" Kiray yelled, as Mira suddenly appeared.

"What's goin' on? And why's _Kahned_ holding a lightsaber?!" Mira asked, and Kiray was about to answer, when Kahned broke in.

"This is none of your business, _beroya_. Just a matter between me and Atton!"

"You're on, coward!" Atton yelled, and Kiray had to jump up and shove Atton out of the way from attacking Kahned. Mira looked positively furious.

"If you got a problem with one of us, you got a problem with _all_ of us!" the bounty hunter growled, and, this time, Kiray had to step in the way of _Kahned_ from springing on Mira.

"Stop it, all of you! Fighting isn't going to fix things! If anything, you should have let me know if you had a problem!" Kiray barked, absolutely disgusted at all their antics when Bao-Dur appeared...the _dark_ Bao-Dur, tattoos thick and angry.

"I heard all the racket; General, what's going on?"

"This is _di'kutla!_ The four of you, against, me? Pathetic!" Kahned growled, and Bao-Dur, Mira, and Atton instantly drew their lightsabers, pointing them all at Kahned.

"ALL OF YOU, STOP IT!" Kiray screamed, and their attention turned to her. She was fed up with it all; she didn't _want_ them all to fight; they had to work together. Kahned smirked at her.

"So, which will it be? Your friends, or your family?" Kahned snarled at her, and Kiray's face grew into a look as even and cold as his.

"_Aliit ori'shya tal'din,_" Kiray replied. "Family is more than blood. And, right now, _none_ of you are my family. I'm not going to do _anything_."

"Do nothing?! _Apathy_ is your choice?!" Kahned roared. Slowly, Atton, Mira, and Bao-Dur turned their blades on _her_.

"Apathy is death," Atton whispered.

"Apathy is death," Mira replied.

"Apathy is death," Bao-Dur sighed.

"Apathy is DEATH!" Kahned roared, and the four ran at her. Kiray activated her lightsaber and stared into the face of the raging Atton. _Not Atton...Atton would not do this._ Kiray threw her hand out, and, in a blaze of electric-blue light, physically _tossed _the four to the opposite end of the room, and Kiray jumped at Kahned, who was struggling to his feet, and plunged her lightsaber down into his heart. He screamed, and all four vanished into thin air. Kiray deactivated her lightsaber and sat down on the floor, heaving with sobs.

_It has to be Kahned...but it can't be! This Trayt...no, I must not get off-focus. When Kavar contacts us, we go to Onderon. After we decide what to do about the Sith, then I will find Trayt. Patience._ Kiray calmed herself with a few deep breaths before standing, brushing ancient dust from her robe, and, slowly, going down the ramp, to what she hoped was the exit.

But when she opened the door, she nearly ran back. Standing before a sarcophagus, wearing robes that every person in the galaxy could recognize, was Darth Revan herself. Revan turned, and her masked face rose to her, and Kiray stared right back.

"Revan," she sighed, "I was wondering what had happened to you." Revan did not answer...

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"Hells, no!" Revan breathed. _This_ vision she could see, and there she stood. The old Revan, the dark Revan, the Revan that had not been touched by love and friendship. _Now...who am I?_

_Am I Revan?_

_Or...am I Jak?_

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Kiray was ready as Revan drew her red and violet lightsabers, but had not been expecting a shout from behind her.

"Talmara! Don't listen to it, it's a vision of the tomb! _It's not Revan!_" Kiray whirled, and stared. Standing there behind her was a tall woman, black hair a downright mess that fell into her navy-blue eyes, mouth curved in a sharp scowl. Her armor glittered with light, a green-silver-violet. Kiray's gaze locked onto the armor; _she had seen that armor before!_ Her father's armor, Cassus Fett's armor.

Revan seemed thrown by the newcomer's appearance, too, but scoffed, "I am no vision!" With a sudden rush of air, Revan leaped into the air, over Kiray and came crashing down towards her rescuer. A violet double-blade sprang to life, and, as Kiray slid forward to make sure Revan didn't suddenly turn on her, _caught_ Revan's attack. _No one can stop Revan when she does that._

The newcomer laughed. "Please, I know _you_ as well as I know myself! Try something new!" With that, the Jedi blasted at Revan in a burst of icy-cold wind, and Revan was shoved back, ice forming on her robes. Kiray brought her lightsaber to life, and held it ready as Revan careened into her blade. Revan stared down in horror, and slumped as Kiray turned the blade off. The violet-bladed Jedi bent down over Revan, and hissed, "_Remember my name, Revan. Remember Jak Donar!_"

Revan vanished as Jak Donar stood, returning her lightsaber to her belt. Jak glanced over at Kiray and smiled. "Kiray Talmara, right? Been awhile since I've seen you, and you've been right hard to track down."

"You _know_ me?"

"'Course. _Anyone_ who was watching the HoloNet during the Wars knows you. Name's Jak." Jak extended a metal right hand, and Kiray looked at it for awhile before shaking it. "Good. Now we're all acquainted, we can get out of here." Jak walked to the door on the right of the chamber, and yanked it open, revealing a tunnel.

"But...you've been following me, haven't you?" Kiray asked. Jak sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, and against my own better judgment," Jak answered as Kiray came over to the tunnel. "Trust me, five years beyond the Rim sure can make you think that you can make good choices. Ha! Look at me, back right where...ah, never mind. After you."

"Where what?"

"Look, d'you want to get out of here or not?" Jak asked, and Kiray lowered herself into the tunnel, sliding down until she appeared outside the tomb, back in the caves. Jak appeared behind her, and she instantly jumped up to her feet. Kiray noticed her armor again.

"Where did you get that?" Jak blinked at her in confusion.

"Get what?"

"That armor. It belonged to m – Cassus Fett, didn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, it did!" Jak answered, beaming proudly. "I bought it off a Rodian I met on Dantooine; Adum Larp was his name, and selling weaponry was his game." Kiray recognized the name. Jak nodded in the direction of the cave; she seemed to have grown more tense, more wary. "C'mon. Any Sith still around here will have probably sensed me by now, and there's no doubt they'll be trying to catch me before we can get out of here."

"Why'd –"

"I'll explain later! Now, c'mon!" Jak raced off, and Kiray reluctantly followed her. Something about Jak just seemed..._familiar_. Like Kiray had met her somewhere, just like the historian. _Still need to ask him what his name is..._

The two quickly left the caves, and, after Jak glanced around warily, broke for the Academy, and Kiray quickly stopped her. "Not that way! The ship's _this_ way!" Kiray started yanking Jak in the direction of the valley.

"Are you _brain-dead_?! The Valley of the Dark Lords is that way, not a landing pad!"

"Had to improvise," Kiray answered as she led her back to the _Hawk_. Jak nearly stopped dead in her tracks.

"No...no _way_. If I go on _that_ ship, I am _so_ going to be deep-fried," Jak refused, but Kiray towed her aboard anyways. Jak barely had time to protest when T3 rolled up to Kiray and started hooting urgently. Jak stared at the utility droid as Kiray listened.

"Kelborn? All right, that's not a good sign...Kavar got a message through? So it's safe to come and get him? No? Ohh...great, that is _not_ what I wanted to hear," Kiray groaned, and Jak stayed utterly silent as she looked over Kiray's shoulder...spotting HK-47.

"Sithspit..." Jak muttered, and, without warning, Jak bolted for the main hold, and Kiray watched as Jak made a hard turn for the medbay, and then there was a loud _clunk_ as the hatch to the turret closed.

"Hey! Jak, not nice!" Kiray shouted, and HK instantly straightened.

"Query: Did you just say the name 'Jak', master?"

"Yes..."

"Query: Did this 'Jak' suddenly bolt for the turret?"

"Yes..." HK almost instantly dashed for the turret, and started hammering on it. Mandalore took one glance at the droid before Kiray strolled by him, and he stopped her.

"What's that _di'kutla_ droid doing _now_?" he asked, and Kiray sighed.

"A new passenger I think he recognizes: a Jedi named Jak –"

"Donar?!" Mandalore asked, and, he, too, went running for the hatch without an answer. Mira walked up to Kiray, frowning.

"What's got them all up in a riot?"

"New passenger; Jedi by the name of Jak Donar," Kiray answered, and, thankfully, Mira did _not_ go running off to hammer on the hatch.

"All right...huh. I think I need to do some research..." Mira wandered off to the com room, and Kiray sighed before slumping in the co-pilot's chair, Atton still asleep across from her. She allowed herself a small smile before taking a doze herself.

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Jak had wanted to be alone for her return to the _Ebon Hawk_, but the hammering on the hatch below indicated that it would _not_ be the silent affair she wanted. Instead, she ignored it, and started rummaging around in the secret compartments she had crafted in here.

Out came datapads, spare lightsaber crystals, a couple crumpled suits of armor and Jedi robes, and one or two empty bottles of juma. _Someone raided my stash! Oh, whoever that was is gonna be in some really deep shit with me._ Jak kept poking around until she found what she had been looking for: a small box, like jewelry would come in. Slowly, Jak opened it.

Inside rested a small, fine necklace, and hanging from it was a tiny swoop bike. Jak smiled a little as she lifted the necklace out, and took out the tiny flimiplast note inside the box:

_Jak:_

_I found out that today was your birthday. Seeing as you were a former swoop jock, I decided to get you this. I made sure it was as beautiful as you are._

_Happy Birthday, Beautiful,_

_Carth._

Jak felt tears rising in her eyes as she tucked the note back in the box, and she carefully put the necklace on, her fingers fondling the tiny swoop lovingly. She had left before her birthday party could start; she was glad Carth had given it to her before she was forced to go. Carth...admiral of the Fleet, now. _And he fell in love with a former smuggler, swoop jock, and current Jedi. How more ironic can you get?_

The banging became more insistent, and Jak decided to stop ignoring it for now as she popped the hatch open, and stared into a blacked-out T-slit and blood-red photoreceptors. Before HK could scream out his excitement, Jak gave him one look and shook her head. "HK, you say one word about me being your master and I'm gonna dismantle you again, got it?" The droid nodded, and Jak peered through the T-slit. "Ordo? That you in the metal crate?"

"Good to see you again, _Ja'ika_," Canderous Ordo greeted her, and Jak beamed before glancing behind them, seeing a young man working in Jolee's medlab. "What's the kid doing in _there_?!"

"Researching _you_, as luck would have it," Canderous replied, and Jak's eyebrow arched.

"I think we need someplace more private, and then you can fill me in. Get T3 in there too. Anyplace where we can have privacy?"

"Com room. You remember where that is?"

"Sure do. See you in five," Jak answered, before drawing her head back into the turret and stowing away her things, stuffing the necklace into her armor. Talmara had recognized it as Fett's armor. _How'd she know that? Did Adum tell her? No, he has a dozen confidentiality agreements, so he couldn't have..._

Jak kept mulling over this before she left to catch up with the times.


	41. Information Download

CHAPTER XL: Information Download

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Five minutes later, Canderous, HK, and T3 were there in front of Jak in the com room. The pilot had taken off two minutes ago, and Jak sighed as they waited for the _Hawk_ to leap to hyperspace. Once it had, Jak fixed her gaze on the three on the ship she could recognize.

"All right...what's been going on out here while I've been out?" Jak asked. T3 started twittering excitedly, and Jak listened until T3 reached a point that made Jak raise her hand to halt the droid. "He's still looking for me?! I thought I'd told him to focus on the Republic!"

"Oh, he has; he just found the time to hunt for you, too, _Ja'ika_," Canderous said, and Jak let out a groan of frustration. T3 let out a few half-hearted hoots when Jak turned back to him.

"A message for me? But...he had sent _you_ to try and find me?" Jak asked the utility droid, who beeped in assent. "Then he could focus on the Republic, temporarily assured in my safety. Got it. Well, what's the message?" T3 whirred a bit, before a hologram of Carth Onasi appeared. His twin strands of hair still flopped casually into his eyes, and Jak noted his Admiral's uniform; this must have been recorded just after she left.

"If you're seeing this, Jak," Carth's voice began, "I guess that means T3 found you. Give him a pat on that head of his for me. But that's not why I sent him. Jak, I'm worried. I saw that look in your eyes; you remembered something bad. Something that you had to fix. I get it; that's happened to me a couple times. But please, you don't need to do this. The Republic still needs you – I still need you. So, Jak, just don't be stubborn and...come on home. If you are, then don't get mad and take that ring off, all right? I still plan on seeing you again." He gave her a smile, and Jak felt her heart fold as his image faded, and T3 let out a mournful little moan.

"I can't go back to him, yet," Jak sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Not only is this whole mess something I need to help clear up, but the whole..." Jak stopped herself. It was delicate information, her doings in the Unknown. However, Canderous put a hand on her shoulder and nodded understandingly.

"All right; let's keep going. Fill me in."

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Kiray poked her head into the medlab after Atton had jumped them to hyperspace, off to Dxun, and she watched the historian for a bit, trying to place him, before he turned and started when he spotted her. "Oh! Jedi Talmara; I am sorry, you startled me..."

"First off, the name's Kiray; none of this 'Jedi Talmara' business," Kiray replied. "Second, d'you have a name? I can't seem to shake this feeling I know you..."

"My name is Mical," the historian said with an overlarge smile. Kiray also noticed his teeth were a bit _too_ even. "And I can imagine that I look familiar, because I visited the Jedi Temple many a time –"

"Visited?" Kiray prodded. She didn't believe _that_ for a moment. Mical hung his head and lifted and raised one shoulder, something Kiray often did, which scared her.

"All right; I didn't merely _visit_," Mical sighed. "I – I _was_ a Jedi trainee. I was going to enter my apprenticeship when my Master-to-be left for the Wars." Kiray nodded; a lot of accomplished Jedi left for the Wars, which would have left a supreme deficiency in Masters of apprentices.

"Who was going to be your Master?" That caused Mical to lift his head, and Kiray _suddenly_ recognized him...

FLASHBACK: _Ten years ago, Jedi temple, Coruscant_

"Kiray, you do realize you're one of the better Knights in your age group," Kavar was saying to his freshly-Knighted Mandalorian apprentice. Kiray glanced up at him, eyebrow arched.

"I have known this because you say it every day, _Kav'buir_," Kiray replied, using her affectionate name for her former Master. Kavar smiled at her and cuffed her shoulder a bit, causing Kiray to smile and chuckle. "Why do I need an apprentice already? I am barely a Knight now; should I not become better adapted to my role _before_ an apprentice come along?"

"A hard question to answer, _Kir'ika_," Kavar answered, and Kiray beamed at the sound of the kid's name she had taught Kavar. "Perhaps it is because the Council thinks a Mandalorian Jedi Knight needs to be tempered like a sword before being wielded?"

"That _would_ explain it," Kiray conceded as they emerged in the wing where all the trainees nearing apprentice age lived. The young children nearly assaulted the two of them, causing Kiray to laugh and playfully toss them off before Kavar brought one closer. He had short blond hair, and an able body, which was as much Kiray could make out because his head was bent in either shyness or respect.

"This is Mical," Kavar introduced him. "He's who the Council believes will make you a good apprentice." Kiray cocked her head a bit before bending down to little Mical's level. He wasn't much younger than she had been upon joining the ranks of the Jedi; perhaps younger, even.

"Hey there, _Mik'ika,_" Kiray said in greeting, trying to see through the short cascade of blond hair. "My name's Kiray." Kiray could see that Mical was biting his lip, wanting to ask a question. Kiray decided to beat him to it: "It means Little Mical. _Mik'ika_ is Mando'a; the Mandalorian tongue."

Mical glanced up at that, revealing bright blue, questioning eyes. "You can speak Mandalorian?!"

"Our little secret," Kiray answered, smiling at him. Mical beamed brightly at her...

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"That was you, wasn't it?" Kiray asked. "You were the little one I was going to train; _Mik'ika_." Mical nodded, his blue eyes a bit more subdued than they had once been. "What happened?"

"You left," he answered. "No one else was willing to take me, so I left before I was sent away anyway." Mical sighed and resumed his work, but not before Kiray had entered the medlab and settled on the bed.

"_Mik'ika_," Kiray began softly, "you know...I could teach you still. I've had practice now. If there's any way I can make it up for you –" Mical looked back at her, and he gave her a very small smile.

"That is quite all right; besides, it is not time. But I thank you for the offer," Mical sighed before turning back to his work on the computers. Kiray sighed and decided to poke her head into the turret Jak seemed to have hijacked. However, instead of Jak inside, Mira was there, poking around in a few compartments.

"What're you _doing_ up here?!" Kiray hissed, hoping Jak wasn't nearby. Mira straightened, noticed Kiray, and yanked the Mandalorian up by the hood of her robe before closing the hatch. "Mira, what's going _on?!_"

"Hush, do you want everyone on the frakking ship to hear?!" Mira asked, her blazing green eyes keeping Kiray from saying anything else. "Force, Kir, don't you _know_ who you just picked up off Korriban?!"

"A rather skittish Jedi who seems to be good with a lightsaber?" Kiray cracked, and Mira's eyes narrowed before thrusting a datapad into her hands. Kiray scanned the 'pad as Mira started talking.

"Your Jedi buddy is skittish for a reason. Kir, if it's all true, then we are in _big_ trouble, or, as you Mandos say, we are in some deep _osik_. Who knows why she was on Korriban, or why she _found_ you?" Mira kneeled down next to Kiray and finished, "Kir, who knows what _Revan_ is gonna do now that she's back?"

"Mira...are you _sure_ that Jak is Revan?"

"Kir, look at the pics. It's _her_." Mira shoved the datapad closer to Kiray, who looked at the pictures. The semblance _was_ uncanny, right down to the navy eyes. "Kir...what do we do?"

"Mira, I don't think we'll be able to do _anything_. We'll just have to stick it out," Kiray sighed, before tossing the 'pad back at Mira and sliding down the ladder...to find Jak waiting at the base.

"Y'know, in _my_ day, no one came up into the turret, even if I wasn't there," Jak said, her voice a little edged as Mira came clambering down, her green eyes just a little bit fearful. "So, is there a reason you two trespassed?"

"If we said that a certain Lady of the Sith had recently taken up residence, would it work?" Mira shot off, and Jak became _livid_. She nearly jumped on Mira, but Kiray threw herself between them, her gaze drilling into Jak's.

"So I guess it's true," Kiray said softly. Jak drew a few long breaths before nodding rather curtly. "Now that _that's_ sorted out, Jak, please tell Mira you're not going to use the Force to blow us all to bits." Jak took another breath and beckoned them into the engine room, which was wonderfully empty. Jak closed the door and clasped her hands over her head.

"Mira's your name, huh? Well, Mira, you want to know why I am being _amazingly_ self-restrained? It's because I am _not_ Revan. I rejected that part of myself a long time ago, with help from some very good friends," Jak explained. "And I've gone through a _lot_ that proves I ain't Revan." The ship shook a little, and Jak looked around with an annoyed look. "Can't your pilot keep your ship in a straight line in _hyperspace?!_"

"Probably fell asleep at the controls again," Kiray sighed, and thumbed the comlink. "Atton, this is your wake-up call. Please remove any and all feet from the piloting console, please and thank you." There was a loud groan on the other end, and the ship stopped wobbling. "Better?"

"Lots," Jak answered. "Now, there are three other people apart from you two who know the truth. Let's just keep it between five, all right? If the whole ship knows, _that_ is going to be uncomfortable." Kiray and Mira both nodded, and Jak reopened the hatch, revealing a tired-looking Atton.

"Waking up still, eh, _vod_?" Kiray asked him, and Atton nodded before his eyes locked on Jak. Very suddenly, he became..._edgy_, and Jak didn't shift her eyes from him. _Atton_...

Atton didn't answer but simply gave Jak a nod of greeting before turning back towards the cockpit, half-stopping under the turret before moving on. Kiray looked over at Jak, who had jammed her thumbs into her belt. "And what was that all about? You made Atton about as jumpy as a cannok," Kiray asked a few silent moments later.

"Nothing. I didn't...well, I just thought he was on Dantooine, not on as your pilot," Jak replied, before striding off to the turret and up into it. Kiray spared a glance at Mira, who looked just as confused as she felt. Mira shrugged, and Kiray released a sigh as they continued on to Dxun.

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The_ Ebon Hawk_ landed on Dxun a few hours later, and Mandalore took the lead through the jungle to the Mandalorian camp, where Kelborn waited for them in Mandalore's command center. They all assembled, while Kelborn quickly filled them in on the situation.

"General Vaklu has made a move on the Queen," Kelborn said, "and he has reinforcements; _Sith_ reinforcements. The Council is divided, and Iziz is under siege. Kavar was able to get a communication out, asking for you to come and help sort this out." Kiray was pacing, and Jak watched her while Kelborn continued, "In addition, we've found out about a Sith tomb not far from here." At this, Kiray paused pacing, and traded glances with Atton and Brianna before resuming. "We should sent an attack group there, drive the Sith out before they attack us."

"That AND making sure Vaklu doesn't kill the Queen right then and there," Jak said as Kiray stopped again. Kiray gave Jak a single look.

"I'll have to lead the team heading for Onderon, aren't I?"

"I won't pull any punches, but yes, you are going to have to take Onderon," Jak answered, "I wouldn't trust anyone else but you to lead there. Now, as for taking out that Sith tomb...that's your pick." Kiray frowned in thought and resumed pacing for a few silent minutes before stopping in front of Jak again.

"I want you to lead the team into the tomb, Jak. Take who you think can help." Jak started a bit in surprise, while Kiray resumed pacing, and Jak looked over the crew she had to choose from. _A lot more people than the last time...hm._

"I'll take Mandalore, the hunter, and the Miraluka," Jak said, nodding as Mandalore, Mira, and Visas took a few steps closer to her. Mandalore dropped a hand on Jak's shoulder and gave her a nod.

"Kahned, Bao, I want you with me for the ride into Iziz," Kiray said. "Everyone else, help back up Kelborn and the other Mandalorians, and _no heroics_. All right? Anyone who tries going out like a hero's going to find that it'll be quite impossible if I find out." There were a few chuckles as they started dispersing, and Atton quickly paused in front of Kiray.

"Kir –"

"I'm sorry, Atton, but I need some tough backup, especially if the Sith are backing Vaklu up," Kiray answered, "and I can't risk sending Kahned into that tomb, not after what you told me about last time." Atton smiled at her and gave her a gentle peck on her forehead.

"I know. Just don't go heroic on _me_, all right?" Atton whispered. "I do plan on seeing you again, Kir." He gave her one last embrace, before he quickly jogged away, heading for Kex the quartermaster. Kiray sighed as Jak and her team geared up and prepared to head into the jungle.

There was a single conversation, between Jak and Visas.

"My Master often spoke of you," Visas said quietly to the new addition, who listened with interest. "She often praised you, but never mentioned what had happened to you. Where did you go?"

"A long way away," Jak answered quietly. "It's hard for me to talk about it at present. But...who was your Master? I know a lot of decent Jedi."

"Kayden Halcyon, a Corellian Jedi," Visas answered, and Jak beamed and looked poised to ask a question before Visas added, "She died upon Katarr. She did not deserve such a death." Visas turned away, and Jak, whose smile had almost literally lit up the whole area, vanished entirely, replaced by a look of loss. _Another something to ask her_, Kiray thought.

But that would have to wait. Soon, Jak and her team would leave, and Kiray, Bao-Dur, and Kahned soon after. There was a war they had to stop before it got out of hand.


	42. Tomb Tunneling

**A/N:** BE WARNED!! Angstiness alert ahead! Jak focus chapter (just like in-game), so expect LOTS of angsting. All right, it's not much, but still.

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CHAPTER XLI: Tomb Tunneling 

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Xarga, a golden-armored Mandalorian sergeant, led the four of them deep into the jungle, and stopped not too far from the camp. Jak took a sense ahead, and discovered that, apart from the usual beasts, there were also Sith in the area. _Great, what a way to commemorate my return: kicking stinking Sith butt._

"We're not too far now," Xarga said to them, "I can stay with you a little longer, but not much; I'll lead the rest of the Mandalorians through the jungle, flush out the Sith. We'll leave the tomb to you, if what Mandalore has told us about you is true." Jak flicked a glance at Canderous before giving Xarga a nod and waving them forward.

It had been a long time since Jak had walked on Dxun's surface; she'd nearly forgotten about the strong dark aura around the place. Jak could feel the long strands of dark power nearby, reaching out from the tomb; she could almost hear them whispering her name. Jak mentally shook them off before they ran into a bunch of boma and cannoks, and Jak brought her double-bladed 'saber to bear while the Miraluka, Visas, and Mira the hunter watched her back. Canderous stayed towards the back with Xarga, using a repeater to add to the onslaught, and it wasn't long later that they continued on, until mines started dotting the pathway ahead. Jak started bending down to pick them up, when both Xarga and Mira stopped her.

"Look ahead," Xarga growled, pointing. Jak followed his finger until she spotted a motion sensor, which certainly threw a wrench into the works. "Unless we can get someone to get in at it close and disable it, we're stuck."

"Let me; I got this," Mira said, putting her lightsaber on her belt, allowing Jak to spot the small stealth generator there. Jak arched her eyebrow a bit.

"Sure you can break it down?"

"Very sure," Mira replied, and Jak waved her forward, and Mira vanished into a faint shimmer and slowly walked forward, negotiating the mines. Jak watched as the bounty hunter approached the sensor, and waited in a few tense moments of silence before there was a faint _click_. Mira dropped her field, beaming, and Jak sighed in relief as she started disabling the mines, Mira taking up a watch-spot near the exit of the tunnel they were in as Xarga, Canderous, and Visas followed behind Jak.

"I have to leave you now," Xarga hissed once Jak stowed away the last of the mines. "I shall try and meet back up with you in the tomb. Good luck." Before Jak could return the sentiment, Xarga jogged away, his golden armor fading among the dark trees.

"Obviously not the chatty type," Mira put in. "I see turrets, droids, Sith...lots of fun ahead, folks."

"I am prepared," Visas said softly, and Jak looked over at the Miraluka. _Kayden's apprentice. Kayden...dead on Katarr. Why didn't I get back sooner?!_

_Because it was still too dangerous. You're just being reckless, standing here, _Jak answered herself before Canderous took her shoulder and shook it a bit. "I'm ready. All right, Mira, are there any command consoles nearby?"

"Probably...there's a ship that's landed not too far from the tomb entrance," Mira answered, eyes narrowing in focus. Jak bit her lip in thought, tucking her chin into her hand.

"We'll head there first, wipe out any Sith around it, raid storage, and check if there's a computer," Jak said. "Then, if there is a computer, I'm going to have some fun with it." Canderous chuckled at that.

"You were always one for computers, _Ja'ika_," he said, and Jak flashed him a grin before following the rock face around to the small Sith camp, lightsaber ready and the Force close by. Mira and Visas also pulled out lightsabers, while Canderous yanked out a pair of very large swords before they whirled around and quickly dropped about four basic Sith troopers and one captain before Jak leaped at a field station terminal, fingers metal and real tapping away at the screen like a whirlwind.

"Oo, look at _this_...'Last Resort' scenario," Jak commented with a smile, pointing it out to the others. "Let's see what it does..." Jak activated the program, and there were sounds of blasterfire throughout the clearing, and she beamed like a kid in a candy store as she commented, "Now we got the droids and turrets on our side. Let's watch the fireworks and go clean up after."

"Jak...you are wicked," Mira said with a chuckle as they all took a look: droids and turrets were firing on the Sith forces, making things a lot easier for the four of them as both kinds fell right and left and loosening up the reinforcements a good deal. Once that they were certain that the blasterfire had stopped (which meant either all the droids and turrets had been destroyed or quite a few of the Sith were gone), Jak waved them forward.

It was five minutes of cleanup, once the first of the Sith troopers spotted them. Once those were taken care of, Jak led up the black stone ramp, taking down more troopers and a few Dark Jedi in flashes of violet. Out of the corner of her eye, Jak could make out the beams of burgundy-red and red-orange held by Mira and Visas. Before long, they were at the top of the ramp, Sith dead around them. Jak was motionless, feeling the dark side swirling around her, trying to draw her to the persona of Revan. Her eyes were closed, her breathing heavy. Canderous put away his swords and put a hand on her shoulder, making her eyes open. "Jak? Are you all right?"

"I...it's nothing," Jak answered, mentally shaking herself out before putting her lightsaber onto her belt. She knew Ordo was probably staring at her, and, just for a moment, wished he was Carth, so she could absolutely let out every single bit of bottled emotion trapped up inside. "I just need to shoot out some energy. Mira, Visas, pick up anything that can be salvaged; Ordo, watch our backs."

No one questioned her, and Jak wandered off to one end of the entrance platform to the tomb. Jak closed her eyes and thrust every dark calling out of her head, trying to summon her memory of Carth's face: the way his two crazy bangs flopped into his eyes, the kind glitter in his brown eyes. But, to Jak's terror, she couldn't remember how he looked; bits and pieces, but not the whole picture. Jak remembered when Carth had told her about him forgetting how his wife's face had looked. _Does this mean I'm accidentally letting him go? Do I not love him anymore? But...I do! Don't I?_

Jak's heart twanged mournfully as her hand touched her collarbone, right where the swoop charm lay. _I can't lose him! I won't lose him!_ She felt the ice building as her confidence shone, and she balled her fists as she kept thinking, _I'm fighting for him! To make this galaxy safe for him, and Dustil, and Mission, and everybody else I care about! I won't fail! I won't forget!_ Jak threw her shoulders back, and she felt the icy chill expand out from her, and Jak felt a whole lot better.

She turned to check up on the other three, noting that Mira and Visas were staring. Jak smiled and chuckled as she crunched across the rapidly melting ice back to them. "Yeah...that happens a lot. I can do it consciously, too," Jak said, and got Mira's jaw to drop. Canderous shook his head and gave her a look.

"Better?"

"Lots," Jak answered. "C'mon, everyone, we're going into one big nasty Sith-infested hole. Best get your lightsaber or swords ready, no blasters can make it here." That got Mira to crack a grin, and even Visas gave her the ghost of a smile before everyone got ready, and Jak opened the door into the tomb. Right in front of her were two self-styled Sith lords. Jak sighed and shook her head.

"Canderous, I clearly remember the days when there was only _one_ Sith Lord to deal with," Jak commented. "D'ya think these guys really are?"

"Not on their lives," Canderous growled in agreement as Jak snapped her familiar violet blade to life and shooting the two Sith a vicious grin.

"That's what I thought."

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Roughly one hour later, Jak, Visas, Mira, and Canderous were staring down a long ramp that led to Freedon Nadd's tomb. Just from their standpoint, Jak could spot three powerful Sith doing some kind of ceremony, and it didn't look like it was going to help the Talia supporters on Onderon.

"All right, options: we sneak down there, find out what they're doing, and jump 'em before they finish. Anything else?" Jak asked.

"I'd shoot them with either grenades or darts, _then_ go tackle 'em," Mira suggested, causing Jak to grin at her some. Visas didn't seem to have an idea before Canderous sighed and looked for a long while at Jak.

"There is the old standby..."

"Oh, you mean mindless attack and slaughter?" Jak asked, smirking a bit, knowing that Canderous must be giving her a similar grin. "Well, there is always that. Nothing else? No? Right, then Plan A shall commence. Lightsabers ready? Good. We're going to go talk to some baddies, then kick...what's the word, Ordo?"

"_Shebs_, you mean?" Canderous asked, and Jak nodded brightly before the four of them headed down into the tomb proper. One of the Sith instantly took notice of three Jedi and a Mandalorian coming down.

"Break off the ritual!" one shouted, and three dashed towards them as one fell from the power overdrive. The three Sith stopped dead in their tracks, and Jak beamed.

"I like smart Sith; makes things easier for me to try and talk 'em out of taking me on," Jak cracked, and she could swear that one of the Sith was smirking at her. She arched an eyebrow as she stood ready in a favorite form of hers: Niman, a very little-known form that was good all the way around against blasters, lightsabers, and Force powers. _All my bases covered_, Jak thought. One of the Sith, who was obviously the leader, took a step forward.

"Revan – it has been too long," he said, bowing in deference to Jak. She could sense Visas's shock, but it wasn't too bad. She stared down at the kneeling Sith and was half-tempted to kick his brains out.

"My name is no longer Revan," she stated firmly, and the Sith went rocking back as she mentally shoved him away, a thick plate of ice on his chest. "And I am not a Sith, not anymore."

"So, it is as Lord Trayt said," the Sith growled as he staggered to his feet. "You refused your true powers, taking the false identity the Jedi forced upon you as your own. You _are_ weak."

"I wouldn't say that," Jak answered, raising her right arm. "This is proof that I am human, and it taught me a valuable lesson: you _never_ back down from a challenge, and you never hesitate. Which is a bad sign."

"For whom?" the Sith asked, mildly confused. Jak smirked, knowing her navy eyes were glittering with the natural stubbornness and 'insanity' of Corellians. Jak's metal arm balled into a fist, before driving it at him, forcing out towards a pool of water in a direct cyclone of freezing cold ice.

"You!" Jak barked, flying through the air and bringing her lightsaber crashing down on him, but his own scarlet blade sprang to life before Jak could finish him. She heard Mira, Visas, and Canderous engage the other two, leaving her with this Sith master. She slid off of the Sith and, while in midair, shot her hand down and froze the pool a good three feet down before landing onto the clear surface. It was cold enough so Jak could focus on more important things.

He ran after her, holding his lightsaber in what she recognized as the nails-tough Ataru form, but Niman was more than a match for it. Jak's swirling violet blades matched and countered the Sith's red, parry, thrust, slash, throw off a feeble attempt to freak her out, blast him with some ice so that he looked like a glittering Sith ice sculpture before Jak tossed her lightsaber at him, making the ice fracture and shatter, the Sith with it. _That's right! That's why you don't mess with Jak Donar, you frakking Sith!_

Xarga appeared as the four of them easily dispatched the other two Sith, and Jak turned off her lightsaber and looked over at him. "You missed some good times, Xarga," she quipped, and the golden-armored Mandalorian shrugged.

"I see that Mandalore certainly wasn't exaggerating," he commented, and Jak knew that Canderous was probably smirking at his lieutenant as Xarga continued, "We took care of the rest of them in the jungle; there shouldn't be much trouble on Dxun for a good while."

"What about Kiray? How have she and her team fared?" Visas asked before Jak could, and, if Xarga wasn't masked, Jak would have sworn that the burly Mandalorian was beaming.

"Ah, your friends. Well, just after you departed..."


	43. To Save a Queen

CHAPTER XVII: To Save a Queen

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"Mandalore says that Donar's group is making excellent progress," Zuka said as he, Kiray, Bao-Dur, and Kahned went walking towards a locked hangar. "So, you're clear to go...and Mandalore's offered you a special treat."

"What _kind_ of treat?" Kiray asked, a bit apprehensive while Zuka unlocked the doors and waved Kahned over. Kahned gave Kiray a broad grin, causing her and Bao-Dur to trade glances before the other two flung the doors open.

"And here it is!" Zuka declared. "One operational basilisk war-droid. You'll be flyin' right into the action, like a kid proving himself in his first battle." Kiray squealed with delight as she ran at it, looking it all over. Bao-Dur followed, checking it out for himself.

"Looks like we're missing a couple systems," Bao-Dur said after both he and Kiray had finished circling, "but we shouldn't be too lacking; got some weapons, shields, life support."

"And she's _pretty..._" Kiray sighed longingly, making Zuka laugh as the Mandalorian tech smacked her hard on the shoulder. Kahned smirked broadly as Kiray was escorted into it, and she instantly took the pilot's seat while he and Bao-Dur strapped in on either side of her.

"All right, you've had training, obviously, so we'll drag you out onto the ramp. Then fire the engines and you'll get up and movin'," Zuka said before he left. Kiray gave him a salute and started flicking switches.

"Repulsorlifts, on, shields powering up, weapons live, life support prepped and ready..." Kiray muttered. In front of them, several spare Mandalorians were dragging a large ramp out in front of them, and Atton, who was over to the side, gave Kiray a good-luck wave. Kiray returned the gesture as she started easing the basilisk forward on its repulsorlifts.

"We got launch boosters ready," Kahned reported as the Mandalorians scurried away from the steep ramp, and Zuka gave them a thumbs-up. Kiray spared one glance back before giving out a warning:

"You boys might wanna strap in. _Tight_." This was right before she threw the boosters wide open, and both she and Kahned whooped in delight as they rocketed up the ramp, pointed straight up at the stars. Kiray had a feeling that Bao-Dur was clinging to his seat as they rattled through the atmosphere. Kiray turned the boosters off as they fired the short distance towards Onderon.

"General...tell me when it's over..." Bao-Dur moaned, and Kiray spared a glance back. The Zabrak did look rather green, come to think of it.

"We're in a quiet spell for a few more minutes," Kiray said soothingly. "Then it'll be a fast descent."

"I had a mate once," Kahned said, grinning a bit, "who I was riding with in a dropship once during the war. He described it as a one-way elevator to hell...going _down_. Then he shouted his head off as we went down." That didn't seem to make the poor Zabrak feel any better, but Kiray gave him a bracing smile as they started heading down towards Onderon.

"Everyone ready?" Kiray called, adrenaline racing through her as they started tilting downwards.

"_Oya!_" Kahned shouted joyously, and Bao-Dur's grip audibly tightened on his seat. Once again, Kiray fired the boosters, and the two Mandalorians shouted in delight as they roared down into Iziz, lasers blazing at a few turret emplacements before Kiray yanked them horizontal sharply as the basilisk thudded into the street of the Merchant Square.

"All right, let's move! I see lots of Vaklu's men running around; get ready for some fun times," Kahned shouted as they unstrapped, and Kiray slightly reluctantly helped ease Bao-Dur (who was looking rather sick from the fall) out before they fought down at least a whole brigade of Vaklu's soldiers before they started running for the Sky Ramp that would lead them to the Palace.

They got into the Palace maybe half an hour later, after fighting through several of Vaklu's personal hounds before running up against his Sith reinforcements, including one Sith Master that, when he faced a Weapon Master like Kiray, stood absolutely _no_ chance.

"Kahned, get that door!" Kiray shouted almost right after they'd gotten in, and Kahned went barreling for the door before it slammed shut, bouncing the rock-hard Mandalorian off the door before Kiray smacked her hand on the heavy door.

"You're too late!" a familiar voice said from a computer terminal. Kiray's eyes narrowed at the screen as Colonel Tobin's smug face appeared. "Soon we shall get through this last barrier, and we will kill the Queen, and Onderon will be free!" If Tobin said anything else, neither of them heard it, because Kiray blasted the terminal with a shock of lightning, her mismatched eyes narrow.

"We have to get through _somehow_," Kahned muttered, slapping the door soundly with one of his blades, making it ring loudly. Bao-Dur blinked once.

"It's durasteel plating used for capital ships," the tech said, although Kahned was trying with all his might to break that door open. "The only way we can get in is if we find an override console."

"Kahned, stop making yourself look like a _di'kut_," Kiray said, her eyebrows furrowing at her brother. "If we hurry, we can crash through the whole Palace and find that console before Tobin gets through the door. Then we get back here and stop him from killing Talia." She quickly turned away from the door, ignoring the noisy roars of whatever monster Tobin was using to get through to the Queen, and she and her team went running into the hallway to the right.

Apart from the throngs of Sith troopers and some of Vaklu's forces, there weren't many threats for a Jedi, a Mandalorian, and a Mandalorian Jedi to face off against. Unless you counted the tamed bomas that some Sith used, coupled with assault droids, but Kiray didn't; they were just a pleasant workout before she got to stop a war.

They eventually reached a computer room, and, after Kiray sliced through the door, found one of Vaklu's captains guarding a Talia-supporting captain. At a computer was a green-skinned Twi'lek that Kiray recognized from the cantina during her last visit to Iziz. While Kahned dealt with the captain, and Bao-Dur quickly released the other captain, Kiray walked up to the slicer and eyed him.

"Well, what're you doing here?" Kiray asked, crossing her arms as the slicer kept working, although his gaze flickered to Kiray fearfully.

"_It's just a job...I have to feed my family like anyone else," _he replied, still tapping away. Kiray frowned before grabbing his shirt collar and yanking him away from the computer. The Twi'lek squealed a bit as Kiray grabbed at one of his lekku.

"You listen, and listen good," Kiray muttered, leaning in close to his ear. "I am not interested in taking prisoners, but I'm not too keen on killing innocents. So, you sign off the system right now, and you get out, before any of Vaklu's men decide you're fair game to blow all the way to Coruscant, got it?" The slicer nodded fast, and Kiray let him go, watching him scramble for the door. She smiled a bit to herself before getting onto the computer herself.

"All right, we have the door open. Anyone want to go toe-to-toe with a..." Kiray peered at the cam angle, eyebrows furrowed, before continuing, "...drexl larva?"

"Only if I'm feeling particularly _jare'la_," Kahned replied, "which is definitely not now."

"I tend to agree with your brother, General," Bao-Dur added, and Kiray sighed.

"Well, we do have yet the other half of the palace to cover. All for tackling more of Vaklu's hounds?" Kiray raised her hand, as did the other two. "I just _love_ a unanimous decision."

After going through the northern corridor of the Palace (and raiding the museum and royal vault, but no one really noticed or cared), Kiray, Kahned, and Bao-Dur returned to the door, which, as Kiray had said very accurately, was wide open. On the other side stood several Sith, a drexl larva, and none other than a dumbstruck but fuming Colonel Tobin.

"How did you...it's no matter now!" Colonel Tobin growled as Kiray marched in, her grip tight on her lightsaber. "Our drexl will soon be through the energy field, and we shall kill the Queen! Onderon will be –"

"Colonel!" one of the Sith shouted. "The beast – it's out of control!" This was followed by a vicious roar from the drexl, and the Sith in question yowled as one of the drexl's clawed arms smacked him, sending the soldier flying across the room before crashing into a wall and falling limp. The colonel turned, hands clenched around his heavy repeater.

"Forget the beast!" he barked. "Get in there and get the Queen!" Kiray watched, faintly amused, as three Sith troopers scrambled past the drexl while it was confused by Tobin's shouting, but one was not so lucky before the beast strode towards Tobin. The colonel struggled to bring his repeater up, but the audible _crack_ as the drexl clawed right across his face, snapping Tobin's head at an awkward angle before the body fell limp. It hissed as it spotted the three of them.

"Anyone know how to calm a drexl?" Kiray asked, thumbing her lightsaber on and hearing Bao-Dur follow suit. Her question was met with silence. "Too bad. I was hoping to get into the throne room easy..."

The drexl loped towards them, and Kiray leaped at it, bring her lightsaber crashing down on its clawing arm as it roared deafeningly. Bao-Dur ran after her, dodging the beast's stumpy little legs to start striking at its spiny back, while Kahned ran straight forward and sent one sword into the drexl's chest and the other into its neck before jumping up and kicking it solidly in the shoulder that hadn't sent a swipe at Kiray. The beast growled before bending down and trying to bite Kahned into two half-Mando pieces before Bao-Dur brought his lightsaber into the beast's neck as Kiray flew at it from the side, slicing down before bringing the blades crashing up. With a loud sizzling sound, the creature's neck severed cleanly, and Kahned barely flinched as the head came down on him shoving it off coolly and, just minutely, flinching a bit.

"That was relatively easy," he said before retrieving his swords. Kiray gave him a quick smile before looking over at the door beyond which Talia's bodyguards and Vaklu's troopers were battling, right close to the queen and the general.

"Bao, Kahned, get in on that action," Kiray ordered, deactivating her lightsaber. "I'll be giving support."

"How?" Bao-Dur asked, but Kiray gave him one of her confident half-smiles, a little bit cocked, and the Zabrak knew better than to question her when she was like _that_. They ran in, throwing themselves into combat while Kiray, in the antechamber where the bodies of the drexl and Colonel Tobin lay, crossed her legs and closed her eyes.

In her mind, she saw hundreds of Mandalorian warriors, waiting for her. She slid into line before giving them all nods. _It will be an honor to fight with every single one of you_, she thought to herself before mentally beginning one of the oldest and grandest of Mandalorian war chants: The _Dha Werda Verda_, the Warriors of the Shadow. Her mental army beat the rhythm against their armor, against their fellows' armor, as the chant rose around them. Outside of her mind, a great wave of snowy-white had cascaded into the throne room, finding out bodyguards to strengthen and embolden. Kahned smiled when a tendril reached him, feeling the _Dha Werda_ rising around him, silently joining in.

Kiray kept it up until a familiar presence ran past her, grabbing her cloak's hood to snag back her attention to the present. Kiray quickly leaped to her feet, looking to find..."_Kav'buir!_"

Kavar gave Kiray a grin, igniting twin blue blades. "I had a feeling you'd gotten my message," he said before nodding towards the throne room. "Hurry; we have to end this war before it starts!"

"_Hukaati gar kama, Kav'buir!_ (**Watching your back, Papa Kavar!**)" Kiray answered, activating her own navy blades before running in behind him, bringing down the last few of Vaklu's soldiers before the bodyguards, Kahned, Bao-Dur, Kiray, and Kavar formed a ring around Queen Talia and General Vaklu.

"You would sacrifice Onderon...to the leeches of the Republic!" Vaklu panted, stepping out of the ferocious melee just for a second. Talia, her almost porcelain-like features betraying no signs of fatigue, clenched her double-bladed sword all the tighter.

"And _you_ would destroy everything we have done to rebuild our world!" Talia retorted, causing Vaklu to come crashing at her again, but the queen was certainly a better fighter than she let on, because she blocked him easily. Behind them, more of Vaklu's soldiers ran in, and, led by a Zabrak Jedi and a trained Mandalorian warrior, Talia's bodyguards ran to hold them off, while Kavar and Kiray charged at Vaklu, allowing the Queen to take a step back and regain her breath.

Vaklu, however, had no intentions of giving up. He was able to hold them off to at least attain higher ground near the throne, but Kiray chased after him before bring her lightsaber in a high arc across his retreating back, and Vaklu stumbled before sliding to the floor...right under the flashing point of Talia's sword. He released his blade and raised his hands in surrender.

"It's over," Talia whispered softly, keeping her blade level with Vaklu's throat as he staggered to his feet, and Kiray hopped down to stand near her _Kav'buir_, who put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You will not try a stunt like this again. I should kill you now for this!" Vaklu flinched in terror.

"At least give him a trial, your Majesty," Kiray broke in. "Show him to the populace as the _hut'uun_ he is...the coward that he shall always be." Vaklu seemed on the verge of saying something, but a slight shake of Talia's sword kept his mouth shut.

"He does not deserve that right!"

"But by killing him, you make him a martyr," Kiray reasoned, sensing every eye locked onto her save for the queen, who was fixated on the general. "Kill him now, and his believers will use his death to forward his cause. Try him in a court of law at least, _before_ killing the _aruetii_."

Talia seemed to consider her words before, slowly, lowering the double-blade, and there was an evident release of tension in the air. Talia quickly waved some of her guards over.

"Take him to the prisons; he shall receive his trial." That was all she said before the guards escorted Vaklu out, but not before the general twisted around and spat at the floor between Kiray and the queen. Kiray stared at it while Talia followed the guard, obviously to inform her jail-master the treatment for Vaklu. Kavar walked around from Kiray's side to stand before her. He beamed proudly down at her.

"You did well, my old apprentice. Still as astute as ever." Kiray returned his beaming smile before they settled up on the ramp leading up to Talia's throne.

"Master..._Kav'buir_, I need to know why I was exiled. And please don't say it was because of the dark side; Atris and Vrook have already given me an earful on _that_ front." Kiray glanced pleadingly over at him, and Kavar looked back at her before leaning forward.

"_Kir'ika_, you are right. You weren't exiled because you had suddenly become part of the dark side. But you _were_ because we sensed something dark within you. A wound in the Force." Kiray nodded, recalling the gaping maw she had witnessed on her night on Dxun. It felt like years, lifetimes, since then, but it had only been a month since then.

"We had no idea what it was, what it would or could do, and so we did the precautionary thing." Kavar put an arm on Kiray's shoulder, full of warmth and understanding. In a way, Kavar was more Kiray's father than Cassus Fett had ever been. Kavar was _Kav'buir_, while Cassus had only been _Father_.

"I understand," Kiray muttered. "I think I've been working on understanding ever since I woke up on Peragus." She looked at Kavar, smiling at him, before hugging him, as a daughter to a father. Kavar stiffened a little before yielding warmly, and Kiray sighed a little.

"Now, I know how to get us ready before leaving for our destinations," Kavar said a few seconds later, standing and unclipping his lightsabers from his belt. Kiray stood up and watched as he started moving in a fast, powerful lightsaber stance she had never seen before. Bao-Dur, over to the side, watched in awe before Kavar paused and turned to her.

"That was Juyo, an aggressive form best used against a single opponent," Kavar explained, "however, it does lower your defense and can let in Force attacks." Kiray nodded in understanding before Kavar began to coach her through the motions for the next half hour. The two had started dueling strictly in Juyo when the queen appeared, sword away and tired-looking, but smiling as the two Jedi halted their mock battle.

"I am glad that two esteemed Jedi Knights such as you were here to help with this crisis, and I thank you," Talia said as they bowed respectfully. "I can only give you my thanks, and my eternal gratitude."

"It was our duty and honor to help, your majesty," Kiray replied, smiling, and Talia returned the smile before turning and walking out of the throne room. Kavar squeezed her shoulder.

"I shall go to Dantooine and wait for you, Kiray," Kavar said, and Kiray gave him a nod of farewell as his robe flicked around his heels as he departed. Kiray sighed and spotted Bao-Dur and walked over to him.

"You going to be all right, General?"

"That's it. That's all the Masters; we've got a Council."

"So now what?"

"Tie up some loose ends and stop over on Dantooine," was all Kiray replied before breezing out of the throne room. She didn't notice that Tobin was gone, or that Kahned had outpaced them to the hangar bay as they took a shuttle back to Dxun.

"I had a dockmaster promise to send Mandalore's shuttle back once they had the towing capacity," Kahned said once they pulled away from Iziz. Kiray wasn't listening; her mind was already moving too quickly.

Relatively close, the Sith Lord Darth Trayt thought to himself, _The time draws nearer..._


	44. Her Enemy's Face

CHAPTER XLIII: Her Enemy's Face

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The next week was spent making two quick stops along their road to Dantooine, the first being on Nar Shaddaa. Jak had accompanied Kiray, along with Mira, to Geeda the Rodian shopkeeper's stall on the Refugee Sector pad. After Kiray had informed Geeda that both Onderon and Dantooine were calmed down enough to set up business connections, Jak had dragged Mira to just outside the cantina to a spot Kiray had never paused at before, and the three of them all felt the pulse of Nar Shaddaa around them. All Jak had commented was, "Cool, huh?"

Then it was off again, this time bound for Telos' Citadel Station. Jak had locked herself into the turret at this point, but Kiray and Atton were the only ones brave enough to go speak to Lieutenant Grenn of the TSF. Grenn had been surprised to see them, but even more so when Kiray told him about Vogga the Hutt on Nar Shaddaa, who had access to the fuel stores on Sleheryon. Grenn reluctantly agreed to open negotiations with the Hutt, and Kiray had reluctantly accepted the 'finder's fee'; their credit account was _massive_, only because none of them were major spenders.

"So, anything else?" Atton asked as they skirted one of the more common TSF patrols, both tucking their lightsabers out of sight. "Or are we heading for Dantooine?"

"Not that I can think of," Kiray answered as they strapped into a shuttle that would take them back to the docks. Her vision suddenly swamped with a memory: this had been the shuttle where she and Atton had _nearly_ kissed all those many months ago. Kiray spared a glance at him, and he gave her a broad grin as he squeezed her hand while they were transported back to the docks.

"So, Dantooine? _Please_ tell me we're getting off Telos, at least..." Jak said when the two of them came back onto the ship. Jak had been just a tad more on the edgy side when they had landed, but Kiray decided not to press; Jak _had_ been one very powerful Sith Lady not too long ago.

"Yep, we're goin'," Atton answered, and Jak knifed her fist into the air before going off to tell Mandalore and the others. Kiray and Atton traded a single glance before heading up for the cockpit, and Kiray couldn't help but feel a pit form up in her stomach.

"It'll be all right. Everything's gonna turn out," Atton said once the coordinates were laid in and they were away from Telos' gravity well. "Watch it turn out the Masters're going to give you a full pardon or whatever. You mighty well impressed Kavar and Zez-Kai."

"Them, yes, but Vrook is a senior member of the Council," Kiray replied, watching the stars stretch into lines. "He'll have a lot of sway over the final decision."

"Ah, how'd I know? You're the Jedi, after all," Atton cracked, standing up and planting a gentle kiss on the top of Kiray's head before heading out. Kiray watched him go before leaning into her seat. There were a few faint footsteps, and Jak's voice came out from behind her.

"Been talkin' to Canderous."

"Who?"

"Mandalore to you, Kir. He and I were good mates way back when. Anyway, I've been talking to him, asked him about what he's been doing with you. And I learned something." Jak leaned over Atton's seat, seeming almost reluctant to sit down, before glancing over at Kiray. "You never let on you're a Mandalorian."

"That again, huh?" Kiray muttered, and Jak chuckled a bit. "All right, you win; my name isn't Kiray Talmara. It's Kiray Fett."

"Hang on...Fett? As in...Cassus Fett? Any relation?" Jak asked, looking a little uncomfortable as her prosthetic hand gently touched the violet-green chestplate she was wearing. Kiray slowly nodded.

"My father. I guess I was declared _dar'manda_ – no longer Mandalorian to you – when I left, so there was no reason to broadcast it." Jak looked a little overwhelmed at the ideas, which gave Kiray her own chance.

"You seemed a little tense while we were on Telos. Any reason?" Jak's navy eyes widened, just a bit, before her black eyebrows tensed.

"A bit. Just not used to feeling the planet...or seeing it so dead. Made me think about...stuff. Old friends. That kinda thing."

"That and the fact that you don't seem to want to sit down in that seat." Jak gave Kiray a withering look before letting out a thin sigh through her nose.

"When I was on this boat five years ago," Jak began, her tone clipped, as if it were either impersonal now or still hurt to talk about, "the pilot was a good man. Telosian. I kept pestering him with questions, got on his nerves until...until, well, we sorta...started getting along. I helped rescue his son from the Sith, and he was always grateful to me." Jak gently stroked the headrest, a faint smile on her lips. "But he's the one person I can't let know I'm back. That's why I didn't dare leave the ship on Citadel Station; can't be too careful on who's been alerted to watch for me."

"Then why did you even come back?"

"You started stirring up trouble." Both laughed heartily at that, before the cockpit fell silent, and the weapon master and watchman turned their silent gazes to the patterns outside, waiting for Dantooine to come.

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Once they had landed again at the Khoonda dock, Jak had waited hesitantly on the ramp after Kiray had departed. Dantooine held lots of memories for her, as Revan and as Jak. Then again, Dantooine looked just as pristine as it had five years ago, before Malak had planted his turbolaser batteries on the surface, and Jak knew that she didn't have to worry. So, of course, she got off the ship, feeling the cool breeze chase through her hair, as if welcoming her home. Jak closed her eyes, enjoying the peace.

"Jak? You all right?" Kiray asked, looking back at her and jarring Jak back to the present. The Corellian looked at her old friend – _a Mandalorian, of all things!_ – and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just some good feelings left behind," was all she replied before the two of them walked across the plains towards the Enclave. After strolling past the salvager camp and coming up to the corner where the bridge leading to the Enclave was, Jak and Kiray stopped dead in their tracks.

No longer was the Enclave a ruin, short stands of rock showing where it all had been, huge craters showing the blasts from the red rainstorm that had crashed down upon it vanished. The Jedi Academy had been restored to its former glory, a beautiful edifice that was cradled with caring, love, and the Force. Jak stared at her old home, her heart swelling joyously.

"Wow..." Kiray murmured under her breath. Jak wanted to smile at her, but slowly walked towards where Adum had parked his weaponry-filled speeder once, then stopped at the other side, where Elise, a mite-crazy lady who had lost a droid, had parked, hoping to find a Jedi to help her find her droid. When Jak turned to face the Enclave again, she found that Kiray had already crossed the footbridge, and Jak quickly jogged after her before they turned towards the Enclave's main level.

"See, there used to be a lot of people, spacers, locals, and Jedi alike, who'd come over, just to relax and just _know_ that they were safe," Jak sighed, speaking more to herself than Kiray. "Now that it's all rebuilt, people can come back. The Jedi can thrive again. The Republic can _finally _get itself back together..."

"Are you trying to make me feel better or yourself?" Kiray asked, and Jak shut up for her own good as they crossed the open threshold into the courtyard. Sure, it was overgrown with vines, the little stands of water were covered in pond scum with little reeds growing out, and the giant blba tree in the center had been cut, replaced with a new, but smaller, tree. Jak subconsciously took the lead around the tree, leading around to the Council Chamber. Jak decidedly stopped just outside, and Kiray walked by, entering the chamber.

There stood the three Masters, talking quietly to each other. Jak watched, staying out of sight, as Kiray approached the center of the chamber, and the Masters turned to face her. Jak could make out the surge of pride on Kavar's face, the neutral kindness in Zez-Kai Ell's, and the open scowl scrawled across Vrook's. _The old barve survived. Lucky one, him_.

"You have come to face us once again, exile," Vrook began, and Jak could tell that Kiray had visibly tensed at that title. "So, tell us, why have you called us up, brought us together like this?"

"The Sith are rising again," Kiray stated firmly. "Atris wanted me to try, so we could decide on what to do."

"Atris? But wasn't she killed on Katarr?" Zez-Kai asked in confusion, and Kiray shook her head.

"No. She's in a secret academy in Telos' northern pole, supposedly aiding the restoration effort before planning to restore the Jedi Order." All three Masters had a turn to look shocked, and that caused Jak to try and stifle a laugh; consternation on Vrook's face was _hilarious_! Off guard, her Force-aura flared, ever so briefly...

"What was that?" Vrook asked, startled as the confused look slid off his face, and Jak mentally cursed herself, pressing up against the wall to avoid Vrook's penetrating gaze. _Well, this sure feels familiar._

"I sensed it, too...and it sensed of someone we thought we knew," Zez-Kai muttered thoughtfully. Jak was glad that Kavar wasn't asking questions, but the boot crunch just outside the doorway made her think twice. Then, out of nowhere, _something_ shoved her into the wall her left shoulder was against, making Jak lose her balance and collapse, face-first, onto the floor right in plain sight. "Frak," was the only word Jak could think of to say as whoever shoved her grabbed her wrists and yanked her up, staying cloaked, so Kavar could see her.

"Revan," was all Kavar said.

"Hello, everybody, hope I didn't miss anything important," Jak allowed herself to let loose sarcastically as whoever held her suddenly let go, and Jak's forehead hit the concrete again. "Pain...not good."

"_You!_ You...we thought..." Vrook looked apoplectic, and Zez-Kai was still impassive as Jak pushed herself to her feet, turning to try and find whoever had knocked her over. Ignoring the fact that Vrook was now storming towards her, Jak narrowed her eyes in hard focus, barely making out a shady outline of someone lithe and lean, with a topknot...

"Juhani?! Ju, it's me! It's Jak!" Jak declared, before Vrook grabbed her shoulder and dragged her into the center of the room, Kiray looking a tad downcast as Jak was shoved down to her knees. Jak's cloaked assailant had finally revealed herself as a Cathar, and Jak saw the shock that was slowly wending its way across Juhani's face as Vrook stood in front of Jak, looking down his nose at her.

"You have returned for once, Revan."

"Hello to you too, Vrook. Oh, and by the way, the name is Jak now." Jak turned her head to look at Juhani, asking, "Surprised to see me, Ju? I know, been five years...but trust me when I say, _Force_ did I miss you!"

"We all missed you, Jak," Juhani said softly, and Jak mentally sighed in relief before Vrook dragged her attention back.

"So, exile, is this your new master?" Vrook demanded. "You are walking _her_ path now?"

"She came to me, and she has only been helpful," Kiray shot back. "And just remember that it was her who killed Malak five years ago."

"_And_ I'm still an official hero of the Reps, so just back off, why don't you?!" Jak bit back, arching her eyebrows threateningly, and Vrook stepped off enough for Jak to stand erect. The two stared at each other for a long time before Jak cleared her throat. "Kir, keep going. Sorry to have interrupted."

"Thank you, Jak," Kiray said graciously, and Jak beamed before Kiray continued, "So, the Sith. They're back. We _have_ to stop them."

"So, you are both here, asking for war once more?" Vrook growled, and Jak's left fist started flexing in annoyance. "You would have us boldly rise up against these..._shadows_?!"

"They're not shadows!" Kiray barked, her mismatched eyes flashing. "They attacked me on Peragus, they have leadership, and they're bent on destroying the Republic _and_ the Jedi! We _must_ fight back!"

"No..." Zez-Kai murmured. "We must not. These new Sith...they have been well-trained. They are not the Sith of old. It is in response to the burden one of you carries." Kiray bowed her head, whether out of anger or shame, Jak couldn't tell.

"And that wound is why they have hunted us ever since Malak was killed!" Vrook barked, causing Jak to get offended now.

"Hey, are you _blaming_ me?! _You're_ the ones who sent me after those Maps and find the Star Forge, and then you told me to go find and kill Malak, and I did tat! So stop laying the blame on the people _you_ told to do that stuff!" Juhani took a cautious step towards Jak, and Jak's gaze locked onto her friend. "Ju...come on. You gotta help me here. For old times' sake. _Please_?"

Juhani looked torn before Kavar spoke up, surprisingly saying, "Jak is right. We _must_ fight this time. We cannot sit back like in the Mandalorian Wars."

"So _you_ have got into their camp, now, Kavar?! Siding with those who have brought so much doom and destruction on the galaxy?!" Vrook roared as Kavar stepped out of the arc of Masters, standing next to Kiray. Four to two to one. _Not bad, not bad at all._

"Revan redeemed herself," Kavar stated firmly, nodding towards Jak, "and Kiray told me as much herself that she regrets every decision she made in the wars. I say we fight."

"As do I," came a smooth, exotic voice, purring faintly, and Jak beamed over at Juhani as the Cathar Jedi took a lithe stride up to Jak's right. "I have fought with Jak before; she shall not steer us wrong." _Thank you, Ju!_ If only Jolee would appear to talk Vrook down and sway Zez-Kai...

"If war's the talk, war's the only thing that can be done!" called another voice, and Jak whirled in surprise, to find a wrinkled, bald old man with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Thinkin' of the devil, Jolee!" Jak cried joyously, leaping the distance from the line to embrace the cranky old man. "I was almost afraid you were dead, you old fart!"

"What insults have you learned now, you little twit?!" Jolee barked at her, and Jak laughed as he cuffed her over the head. "Last I saw you, you were considerate, and now lookit you! Back to those dirty ways of yours...but is it a relief!"

"Galaxy'd never be the same without Jolee Bindo to come to the rescue it from self-destruction," Jak chuckled as the two walked back. Kiray was only one who looked confused at Jolee's appearance before Jolee's gaze locked onto a shocked Vrook.

"You again, eh?" he asked the Master. "I thought we figured out that you _weren't_ going to mess with Jak again, and now look at you! I think it's nearly time for another talk, Vrook." Jolee glanced over to Zez-Kai. "Now, come, come, Zez-Kai. You were a smart lad last I saw you. Don't tell me you've wandered on over to Vrook and his very odd way of viewing very good people." Jak smacked down a chuckle and a very funny picture of Jolee choking Vrook before something...some_one_ dark came around the corner.

Any sign of warmth and friendship came to a jarring halt as the gathering of Jedi turned their assorted glances towards the door, where stood...

"_Kahned_?" Kiray blurted in even greater confusion. Kiray's brother glared at the cluster, frowning deeply.

"So, my patience has paid off. You have brought me to the last Jedi...thank you, Kiray. So helpful." He waved his hand, and Kiray suddenly collapsed, unconscious, into Kavar's arms. He dragged her back as Kahned strode down the steps. "Now...time for my vengeance."

"_You!_" Juhani hissed, and Kahned smirked.

"Juhani, it has been too long. _Far_ too long. And Jolee Bindo. How _touching_. And with Revan herself and the last three great Jedi Masters, brought down by the one Sith they never expected." Kahned smirked before pointing at Kiray.

"There lies the one Jedi who has brought truth to the Jedi...truth that the Sith realized long ago," he said gloatingly, "the truth that to retain power, you must _devour_ it. That is her price. And yet...when she had power in her grasp, power she could take to dominate the galaxy...she turned away. Cut herself off.

"And both I and my master wondered...why did she turn away? _Why,_ when the galaxy was in her grasp, ripe for the taking, did she cast aside the Force? And now I realize..._she was afraid_. Afraid of what she could do, with such strength, such power. And it was a power _I_ embraced! And that is why...the Jedi are doomed."

"Trayt..." Jak murmured, one of her Revan memories flashing to life, "_you_ were Traya's secret apprentice! And now you're going to do what she wanted to do...destroy the Force."

"Very astute, Revan, _very_ astute!" Trayt laughed, ignoring the hums of a multitude of activating lightsabers. "And now...for the demonstration. _Now_ you shall feel the pain of a million dead souls...the hundreds that died at Malachor, and Serroco, and Duro! _Feel their pain!_" With a roar, he flung out a hand, and _flames_ erupted from his palm. Without a second though, Jak summoned an ice shield, as large and strong as she could make it to block them out, but the flames melted most of it...screaming men, women, and children rang through her ears, and Jak squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the storm to abate...

Then it was over. Jak cracked an eye open, noting through the shield that Trayt was gone. Very slowly, she lowered it, and turned, before a scream tore her throat. There, slumped on the ground, lay Vrook, Zez-Kai Ell, Kavar, Jolee, and Juhani...Jak tried to sense her old friends but...there was nothing. Just an indefinite sense of pain...a void in the Force.

"_No!! Jolee! Juhani! NO!!!" _Jak screamed, throwing herself onto them, shaking their shoulders, cursing Jolee up and down and tugging at Juhani's topknot...but there was nothing. Jak felt her world shatter into a million pieces, and she cried in misery.

There was a faint groan from Kiray, who slowly sat up, rubbing her head. "Jak...Jak, what happened...Kahned came..."

"Don't look, Kiray," Jak whispered, and, of course, Kiray looked. Her amber and brown eyes widened before she grabbed Kavar's robe, shaking him as tears stung her eyes.

"_Kav'buir! KAV'BUIR!!"_ Kiray yelled, but Jak slowly stood and took Kiray's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Kir. It was my fault...I should have jumped at him when we had the chance, before..."

"Don't be sorry," Kiray answered, sniffling. "There's nothing we could have done. And now...now we have to stop him. We have to stop Trayt."

"Agreed," Jak said once, nodding. "That's what they would have wanted us to do, and that's what we're gonna do." She helped Kiray to her feet, and, without hesitating, they turned from the Council chambers and ran all the way back to the ship.

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"Atton!" Kiray called as she and Jak ran up the ramp. "Atton!"

Kiray raced into the main hold while Jak had gone straight, trying to sense out Atton. "Atton?!"

"He...he ain't here..." Mira coughed from her cell, and Kiray turned to see Mira virtually sprawled against the wall, a faint trickle of blood running out of her mouth. Kiray sprang to her friend's side while Jak staggered in, Mandalore dangling over a shoulder. Half of his helm had been blasted off, revealing the face of a grizzled old man with hard gray eyes.

"Almost half the boat's been blown to the hells," Jak muttered as she dropped Mandalore onto the floor and tugged his helmet off. "Idiot man, wake up and tell me what went on!"

"Kahned..." Mira muttered while Kiray dug out a couple medpacs, handing one to Jak while she got to work on the hunter. "He got weird. Think he's Sith...but he knocked out Atton, had a bunch of white women appear and take Bree...he's heading for Telos..."

"Then that's where we have to go," Jak replied. "Besides...something's shifted in the Force. I think the Sith have taken notice of Trayt's little stunt. They're on the move."


	45. Truthful Lies

CHAPTER XLIV: Truthful Lies

* * *

In the days of recovery in Dantooine orbit, Jak and Mical had stitched up the crew as best as possible, repairing the droids and minor ship sabotage Trayt had pulled. Kiray, however, had sealed off the cockpit, herself with it. Jak could feel her, every now and then, reaching out as far as she could, to find Atton Rand. _But if he's Trayt's prisoner, he picked well. Too well._

After another failed attempt to get Kiray to open up the cockpit, Jak scrabbled up her turret, closing the hatch behind her and staring up, finding the one star that, in the Unknown, she could always see, no matter where: Telos, Carth's homeworld, and their destination, soon. Jak closed her eyes, stretching her awareness across the black, true as an arrow along an old bond that had not been reforged since her aiding Atton on Dantooine's surface...and there. She had found him: Atton, formerly Jaq.

Stealthily using his eyes for sight, Jak looked around a large, cylindrical room, staring out of a force cage. _Joy, locked up after months of being free,_ came Atton's winding thought, and Jak physically smiled to herself as she waited with him, until a door to the left opened, revealing two people: Trayt and Atris.

"Hello, _Jaq_," Trayt said coldly in greeting, his eyes glinting with malice as he strode forward. "You seem to have settled well."

"Oh, while ignoring the fact you cut me off so Kir couldn't just come and kill you herself right now? Some brother _you_ are," Atton replied, and Trayt scowled. Jak could feel his hatred towards Kiray as if it was a set of armor that he wore gladly; as if he were _proud_ of hating his sister.

"You know that she betrayed me, just as she betrayed you," Trayt began again, gesturing over to Atris. "All three of us were betrayed by her, in our ways. She left the order for the Wars, ignoring Atris and the Council, when she had impressed them so. On Malachor, she nearly killed me, activating her precious Mass Shadow Generator to murder us all. And you...she left you, to face the Council, and then you were left, unprotected and unknowing of _why_ she had gone with Revan, and not with you." Jak was startled at this little speech, and, worse, the sense of _truth_ behind it. Somehow, Trayt had decided to believe these so much that it was true, to him, and could spread his 'truth' to anyone, even a Jedi.

_He's trying to turn Atton, _she realized. _He turns Atton, he directly hurts Kiray's own balance...delicate enough at losing Atton to him. _She could feel Atton sensing at Trayt's words, and his growing dismay at feeling their truth.

"No. Kiray wouldn't leave me to be taken by a _Sith_, and she didn't even know you were!"

"Did she?" Trayt asked. "She knew my master had been a Sith, before she killed her. You were not present when Darth Traya died; how do you know that Kiray did not kill her herself?"

"She'd never lie about death, you Mandalorian scum!" Atton spat. And Jak winced when Trayt's temper flared and he shot out his hand, and Jak could feel Atton choking, trying to breathe...

_Be strong, Jaq! You can do better than this!_ She barked at him mentally, using her Revan-voice, like she had so long ago. _I trained you to be stronger! I know you will do better!_ Jak could feel that Atton was bolstering his defenses, and Trayt's scowl deepened as the choking sensations fell away.

"So, Revan still fights for you. But there are ways to do more," Trayt murmured, a thin, predatory grin crossing his face. Jak could feel the dark side swirling around him, in a deep, blood-red vortex. The Sith Lord nodded to Atris, who waved her hand, deactivating the cage, and Atton tensed, ready to fight. Trayt simply smirked, beckoning with a finger. "Come, _jet'ika_. See how you fare against a true Sith Lord!"

_You're not a True Sith, _Jak scowled mentally, but started a little when Atton took the bait, running at Trayt, fists balled. Trayt simply stood there, waiting for him, and, only when Atton was ready to let loose, he stretched out his hand and stuck it against Atton's chest. Jak's eyes physically opened, but the terrifying wave of dark power in the Force still echoed, over and over and over. Then came a scream.

Jak kicked the hatch open, leaping straight out as she spotted Mira run up to the cockpit, and she raced Mical to get there after her.

"Move, Mira!" Jak barked, putting her right hand on the door and sending a signal down through her arm into it, overriding the lock. The door opened, and the three of them ran into the cockpit, finding Kiray curled into a little ball in the pilot's chair, arms crossed across her chest and moaning faintly. Jak quickly knelt down and ran a hand along Kiray's forehead while Mical gently took Kiray's pulse. Jak turned to look at the stunned Mira. "Get us out of orbit; we have to get to Telos, _now_, you hear?"

"Got it!" Mira replied quietly, before turning rapidly towards the galaxy map. Jak felt the _Hawk _break orbit and streak away from Dantooine. Mical leaned back, looking grave despite the angelic looks.

"She seems physically all right, but shock has done something; forced her to unconsciousness," he diagnosed. Jak frowned and, to Mical's surprise, picked Kiray up off the chair and carried her to the medlab.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Jak said when Mical tried to speak as she laid Kiray down on the bed. "Trust me, if you're not a Force adept, you couldn't even begin to get what happened to her. _Not even_." Mical looked a touch offended, but he left Jak in peace. Once she was sure he was gone, Jak placed a hand on Kiray's brow, thinking, _It'll be all right, General Fett. He will come back, sarcastic as ever._

There was no response, not even a dim one.

* * *

_He's turned. He's wrenched that part of me too far._

_It's broken._

Kiray wandered amidst the shattered strands of her extraordinary bond with Atton, pain echoing across the stretched threads of light and wonder. She had felt the echo roar with pleasure before it had happened; there was no denying it. Whatever Kahned had done to Atton, it had forced him to the dark side. And the pain...the pain had been too much.

Whatever the nature of the bond had been, it had certainly, somehow, made the connection between them deeper than any _normal_ bond. She had felt what he felt, known what he knew, and yet she was still herself. But now, with the bond gone, shattered beyond all repair, it was as if a part of herself were missing, or dead.

_It'll be all right, General Fett,_ came Revan's voice, quiet and certain as it had always been, _He will come back, sarcastic as ever._

_He won't,_ Kiray replied so quietly that she didn't know if Revan had heard it. _If he returns, he will never be the same. I will never see the real Atton again._ She buried herself even deeper down in herself, insulating from the outside world, when she suddenly felt a flashing beacon, prodding at her knowingly. Kiray felt herself turn to it, and she couldn't help but start. _Atton!_

_Hey, Kir. What's with the moping? Sure doesn't help with anythin',_ Atton replied, arching an eyebrow at her. _What makes you think it's all over anyway?_

_You turned. You broke the bond._

_Would I be here if the bond were broken? _Atton asked her, and Kiray had to admit that he had a point. _No, we're still all tangled up together. It's just that Trayt's forced the bond to sorta...shut down, I think you could say. Basically, it walls me off from you, and you're walled off from me._

_But that doesn't explain why you're here._ Atton shrugged, and the dark spaces of Kiray's mind morphed into the Nar Shaddaa pazaak den, albeit empty except for one table. Kiray glided over to one chair while Atton took the other. He dealed.

_Why am I here? Because we took a chance; not a bluff, but it sure looked like one, huh?_

_What do you mean?_ Kiray asked him as she picked up her hand arranging it the same way Atton was. He gave her that askew smile of his as the first card turned.

_Don't tell me you don't remember? On the way to Telos, deciding to move out of the cockpit for the night..._ Kiray glanced up from her cards at that.

_You mean - ?_

_Congrats, Kir, we're gonna be parents. Gotta get married next time we see each other._ Kiray leaned back in her chair, a little mindblown. Her, a _mother_? Of _Atton's _child?

_How?_

_Kir, do I really have to explain? _Atton chuckled, putting his feet on the table as the cards vanished. Kiray shrugged, and both of them laughed.

_So..._

_I'm the part of our daughter that takes after me,_ Atton explained. _Seeing how accurate it is..._

_Don't tell me. She's going to take after you?_

_Outwardly, at least. But, trust me when I say, she's going to eventually be you, through and through._

_You mean too occupied with herself to focus off a problem?_ Kiray joked, and Atton grinned.

_More of the 'savin' the galaxy' sense, personally, but that's probably going to happen, too._ Kiray smiled at him, and he grinned back. _Might wanna think about goin' back._

_Why? I'm here, with you. What more could I want?_ Atton's features morphed a little, to reveal a tall, lanky girl with Atton's messy hair, his joking eyes, even his cocky smile. But, somehow, Kiray could see that the girl – _my daughter_ – was still as much her mother as her father.

_'Cause if Dad ain't found, I won't be like this, _the girl replied, the smile fading and her twinkling eyes dimming. _I won't be like anybody, an empty shell, not who I need to be. What you're doing right _now_, saving the galaxy from Trayt...it's the doorway to what needs to be done...the last thing to topple the Sith for a nice, long rest from all this constant war. But all three of us – you, me, and Dad – we gotta be together. It's the only way if we're going to win. Win for good._

Kiray's felt her eyes widen, but, somehow, the girl started fading, and the pazaak den faded into the _Ebon Hawk_'s medbay, with Jak hanging over her, navy eyes lit with concern. "And the heroine returns from the realm of the unconscious," Jak cracked as Kiray eased herself up, and Jak used he right hand to help her. "Easy...that shudder nearly had you out for good. You all right?"

"Yes," Kiray replied, rubbing her forehead. _Gotta find Atton. Gotta turn him back to the light. For her sake_.

"Good, because we're about halfway to Telos," Jak said, all pretense at being anything but the Jedi who used to be Revan dropped. "Not only is Trayt there, but there's Sith heading that way; I can feel them."

"How? I mean...they must be all over the galaxy," Kiray asked, and Jak gave her a faint grin.

"Out in the Unknown, I had to be ready to run while makin' allies and scouting out the Enemy," Jak explained. "I could use all the help I can get, but, I mean, only if you want to come. I won't force you; I even found myself an apprentice."

"I'll think about it," Kiray answered, "But right now, Telos is where we're going, and Telos is where we'll end up."

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_**Secret Jedi Academy, northern pole, Telos**_

"Breathe, Brianna, breathe!" one of her sisters urged as Brianna cried out in aching pain. Her face was red with exertion, her hair was sweaty, but Brianna was so certain that she had to end it, right now.

Trayt had accelerated her pregnancy to an extraordinary rate, and now her time had come. Fists clenched, Brianna took deep breaths as she prepared to push again. Another one of her sisters quickly wiped her forehead and gave her a sip of water before the next contraction came. She gritted her teeth as she turned the thrust back on itself, pushing hard and squeezing her eyes shut.

"That's it, Bree, that's it! Keep pushing, here it comes!" Brianna focused even harder, a groan of pain escaping from her lips before the pushing sensation ceased, and she could hear a baby crying. She leaned back and opened her eyes, smiles lighting her sisters' faces as the tiny child was cleaned and, a few minutes later, came into Brianna's arms. "Congratulations, Bree, it's a boy!"

_A boy...exactly what I felt,_ Brianna thought to herself as she cradled the boy in her arms. He blinked slowly, looking adorably up at her with dark, near-black eyes, with thin black strands across his scalp. _My son_. She gave him a smile, and he gurgled happily.

"Kahnor," Brianna breathed. "Kahnor. My son. Mine alone."

"Isn't there something Mandalorians say, to divorce or something?" a third sister asked, and Brianna gave her a soft smile.

"He and I were never married in any sense," Brianna stated, "but my son will never be his." She leaned in close to Kahnor's tiny ear and whispered softly, "Kahned Fett is not your father. He never will be; not as long as I live." Kahnor simply waved his tiny hand and happily tugged at some of his mother's fine hair. Brianna smiled at him, while her second sister went to a nearby computer to look at something.

"Brianna...the _Ebon Hawk_ is coming in," she said, turning to look back at her. Brianna blinked and sensed it: Kiray was coming. Almost instantly, she straightened and carefully stood up, still holding onto Kahnor, and headed for the computer.

"Give me a channel to them. Hurry!" Brianna said, and the other quickly tapped away before stepping back, allowing Brianna closer in. "Kiray? Kiray, can you hear me?"

"Brianna! Thank the Force you're all right," Kiray answered after a few seconds delay. "All right, tell me; is Atton still there? Trayt?"

"No," Brianna answered, "they left, but he sent a message to somebody; whoever they are, they are coming to attack the station."

"_Haar'chak_," Kiray cursed, and Brianna mentally winced for Kahnor's sake. "All right, then I still need to talk to Atris, get her to pose some kind of defense for Telos, or send a message out to the Republic; it might be Sith." The three Echani sisters started and traded glances.

"We shall head up immediately. I think I can get the terminal to send a signal out to the Republic; we can only hope that they will come."

"They will, _Brian'ika_. They will come. And we'll all kick Sith _shebs_." Brianna couldn't shake off a laugh, and, after saying short farewells, Brianna closed the channel, and shut down the shield around the hangar.

"Quickly, to the shuttles," Brianna said firmly; she may be the youngest, but she had far more experience than the rest of her sisters combined. "Everyone, up to Citadel Station; warn them that there are Sith coming, and help defend, understand?!"

"Yes; we understand," the next-youngest sister affirmed, and they quickly dashed out, staves in hand. Brianna sighed and cradled little Kahnor close. Brianna gave him a faint smile as she lightly typed in a Republic frequency she knew.

"This is Republic cruiser _Sojourn_. What's with the transmit?" a voice asked, and Brianna took a few moments to think before replying.

"I have reason to believe that there is going to be an attack on Telos, very soon," Brianna answered. "Telos will need as much help as it can get, and...I have information for Admiral Onasi."

"Well, keep talking," the voice replied. "I _am_ Admiral Onasi."


	46. Getting Answers and Planning

CHAPTER XLV: Getting Answers and Planning

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The _Ebon Hawk_ came in to land not long after Kiray ended the transmission from Brianna. She would have admitted to anyone she was afraid: afraid for Telos' safety, afraid about what Trayt had done to Atton, afraid for Atton...the list went on. Jak was silent, her face set stone-cold, navy eyes narrowed in what looked like what might have been defiance.

"D'you have that crystal I left when I did your lightsaber up on Dantooine?" Jak asked once the _Hawk_ was settled, and they started from the cockpit. Kiray blinked in surprise.

"That was _you?!_"

"Yes, and the one who knocked out Jaq in the Enclave, and helped you stitch Atton back together," Jak reeled off. "Do I have to list it all? But do you have that crystal?" Kiray nodded and gently pulled it out of the pouch she'd tucked it in that day: pure, gleaming white, pulsing. Jak reached into her own pocket and pulled out a similar one, and when they got closer to each other, the crystals vibrated and hummed.

"They're fragments of the Solari crystal," Jak said, "very handy against Sith. That shard helped me tackle Malak and a few other nasty folks; might bring you good luck." Jak slid her lightsaber out of her metal arm and placed the crystal into the main assembly. Kiray watched her do it and did the same. "Ready?"

"Have to be," Kiray replied, and she led the way through Atris' academy, back to the central chamber, up to the ersatz Council chamber, then, past where she had stood so long ago, receiving her mission to bring the Council back together, up the ramp to an open door that led to a room tainted with red from the light of Sith holocrons. Kiray was ready to cross the threshold, but when she glanced back to look at Jak, she saw that the other woman was just about frozen from either shock or fear.

"Are you all right?"

"Cold," Jak mumbled, blinking a little. "Lots of dark side in there...can't go forward very well." Jak took about half a step back and immediately looked more relieved. "I'm going to have to wait here for you, Kir. But you'll do fine; trust me."

"You sure?" Kiray asked, just a little worried. Jak gave Kiray a nod and waved her on. Slowly, Kiray turned back to look up the ramp to Atris's chambers, and the red glow from within.

"_Ni cuyi adenn_," Kiray murmured to herself, "I am merciless." She walked up the ramp, and the door closed behind her. Standing before her, back towards the door, was Atris; there was no knowing those robes being worn by anybody else in the galaxy. Kiray took a few more wary strides forward, and Atris turned, eyes cold and almost dead-looking.

"He said you would come," Atris said coolly, causing Kiray's grip to tighten around her lightsaber. "Trayt. You were coming for answers, weren't you?"

"And a request...Atris, you have to tell me where he's gone," Kiray replied, trying to make her eyes as pleading as possible, even though she had no love for Atris. "Otherwise, he's going to destroy the Force, and the galaxy with it."

"Why should I, when this world is going to be destroyed anyway?" Atris murmured. "Why tell you what you want, fulfill whatever request, when it will all prove fruitless in the ending?" Kiray wanted to put her hands around Atris's throat, but she held back.

"Because you told me the last time I was here that you were determined to restore Telos, restore the Jedi; maybe not with words," Kiray pressed on when Atris opened her mouth to make a retort, "but you implied as much. No, Atris, you're not so far gone that you've lost your honor. You can still help save Telos, save the galaxy. I don't want to hurt you."

"You already _have_," Atris spat. "The day you went to war, the day you turned on the Council, was the day you betrayed the Jedi...the day you betrayed _me_."

"I had no _shabla_ choice!" Kiray snarled. "My people were burning the Rim, getting influenced more and more by mysterious people from farther away than all known space! I tore away, but I had to stop them...stop them before they destroyed the galaxy and themselves."

Atris had no retort. She simply stood there, staring at Kiray, jaw slightly slack as she processed this forceful statement. Kiray took a few deep breaths to bring her temper back under control before bowing her head and closing her eyes.

"I don't care what you do, Atris, but I am going to fight to save Telos. I will fight to bring back the man I love, and I will defend the Force from the agent of its destruction. I will not fight you for this information." Kiray slowly turned to leave the room, leave behind the dark whispers from the triangular holocrons displayed around the room, when she heard Atris take a step forward.

"They have gone to Malachor. You know that place...a place where any who walk its surface will be corrupted beyond all recognition," Atris forced out, even as the whispers grew to angry snarls. "Anyone _except_ you. Kiray...you can defeat that place. Defend Telos and defeat this festering cradle of dark power...with the blessing of the last Master of the order." Kiray watched, simultaneously confused and relieved, as Atris strode forward, and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"Kiray Fett, Knight of the Jedi Order..." Atris intoned, the woman's grip tightening on Kiray as the snarls escalated, "...I, Atris, Master of the Order, do hereby give you...the rank of Master. May your wisdom...lead the Jedi into a new age. May your prowess within the Force...never slacken. May all who learn from you...learn well. Do you take this mantle...upon yourself, rising above all other attachments save that with the Force?"

"I take this burden," Kiray returned, and the holocrons shrieked with ear-piercing force as she pressed on, "to lead the Jedi forward, in place of no other Masters. No attachment shall precede mine with the Force...and my students." Atris blinked in surprise at this deviation, but did not interrupt. "I shall teach them to use the Force for defense and protection. Their powers shall be used to defend the galaxy and each other. They shall be allowed to love and be loved. Thus the Jedi will move forward, under my guidance."

"Thus the galaxy shall move forward," Atris echoed, and there was a terrifying, keening wail as several of the Sith holocrons shattered around them, and Kiray felt a rush of the Force around her, giving her strength and determination before the shards of glass hit the floor, the red glow all but vanished. Atris released Kiray's shoulders, breathing in short pants, but before she could fall over from exhaustion, Kiray grabbed Atris's arm in a gentle but firm grasp.

"Now...we defend Telos."

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Jak was pleased with herself upon finding a computer not too far from Atris's room to wait for Kiray. Of course, what with the thick wall of dark energy in there, it was no wonder Jak couldn't cross the threshold; she was too much of a goody-goody. _And there lies my inner battle_.

Jak decided to keep herself from thinking in Jedi-speak as she hacked in like a pro (which, of course, she was). After checking over the shield network and the space defenses on Citadel Station when she got an inkling to check the communications logs. Jak's inklings rarely proved wrong, so she sliced into the records and pulled up the most recent communiqué. After scanning it over, she realized _exactly_ what was going on.

Not only had someone called for Republic aid, which Jak would have done anyway, but they had called a certain Rep cruiser by the name of _Sojourn_. Jak's heart was pounding frantically as she opened the text file and read through it, her eyes latching onto a single statement.

_Well, keep talking. I _am_ Admiral Onasi_.

Someone had commed Carth. Of course, he was the logical choice to help defend Telos; he'd always said that he regretted not being able to rescue his home the first time, so why not give him the chance? Jak saw the logic, but that logic would be _so_ bad if Carth had done something he most likely would do. _If only I could distance-hack the TSF database!!_ Then, of course, that thought led to another idea.

Jak quickly delved right into the networking of the computer, her fingers organic and not rapping away at the console and hoping Kiray wouldn't suddenly poke her head over her shoulder while in the middle of all this. Land line networks usually led up to the wireless stuff eventually , and once Jak found the tethers up into Citadel, she had no problems hacking into the Telos Security Force network.

She started searching for any broad communiqués from the Republic, the _Sojourn_, or even Carth himself. No go there, so she delved into person-to-person contacts, and she struck hard.

There was a whole list of recent HoloNet messages between TSF Lieutenant Grenn and Republic Admiral Onasi relatively recently. Jak pried through the firewalls and got into the first message, only about fifteen minutes ago.

The holograms appeared before the audio feed: a grizzled man that somewhat resembled Davik Kang in TSF uniform facing a red-suited, brown-haired Carth Onasi. Jak felt her heart rip some at seeing him again, and it grew worse when he started speaking.

"_Grenn, we've got reason to believe that someone of great importance to the Republic is on her way, with a Sith attack on her tail. Think you can hold them off until we get there?_"

"_We'll try, Admiral_," Grenn answered, but Jak's eyes narrowed as he continued, "_If you'd like us to start looking for her, have patrols scouting around –_"

"_No, Dol. I trust her with my life; I'm not going to betray her like that. She'd curse me to no end, and she already doesn't like the Republic that much,_" Carth retorted, and Jak wanted to hug him for being the honorable man she'd been engaged to for the past four to five years. She _knew_ she could count on him for keeping search parties off her back.

The hologram ended after a short chat about the battle plans, and Jak checked out the most recent one; pretty much was going on right now. If she could get a live feed..._No, too dangerous,_ Jak berated herself, _because if you show yourself, Carth's going to start the grilling. Grilling is bad!_ So she waited for the messaging to end before getting the conversation open. Once again, Grenn and Carth faced each other, but Grenn looked much more harried than before.

"_Admiral, they've started the bombing, we need those reinforcements now!_"

"_We've got two hours, Grenn! We'll get there as fast as we can. I am not losing Telos again!_"

They went back and forth like this for some time, until, finally, Jak heard Grenn ask the Big Question.

"_Admiral...do we send out the search teams for her? For Revan?_" Jak's stomach plummeted to her feet when Carth sighed and looked down at his boots. She desperately willed him to say no.

"_Do it. If she's back in Republic space, then we need her, right now._" Jak drove her fist through the computer, but with the wrong hand; the metal fist drove past the thin screen and circuitry and came out at the other side, ending the transmission. She squeezed her eyes shut to keep tears from scrawling their way down her face.

"What was _that_?" Kiray's voice asked from behind her, and Jak turned to see her there, looking not that tired; maybe Atris had given the info without a fight after all. Kiray's swapped eyes looked haunted, but glittering with determination.

"TSF's going to be after me when we hit Citadel," Jak said as she extricated her hand from what was left of the computer. "So you're going to have to press while I try to lose 'em and meet up with you before you go after the big man."

"No," Kiray said. "If you come back in whatever we take after Nihilus, then you'll be arrested immediately. No, you have to try something else. Come on, we don't have the time; we need to get there." Kiray started running for the ship, and, muttering to herself, Jak followed her.

_How am I going to get to take a shot at him? Especially if I'm running from TSF...huh. Now there's an idea..._ Jak grinned to herself as they returned to the ship, and they took off for the station.


	47. Defending the Citadel

CHAPTER XLVI: Defending the Citadel

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Once the _Ebon Hawk_ docked with the station, Kiray raced for the Ithorian compound, following the TSF officers waiting for them. Mira was close after her, along with Bao-Dur and the small remote floating after him. Kiray tried not to look out the windows they dashed past to see the red emergency lights glinting in the other small modules of the station, or watch the bombers wheel through the artificial canyons, spewing green laser blasts. Instead, she kept moving, her gaze strictly ahead of her. _Save the station. Get to __Malachor__. Stop __Kahned__. Rescue __Atton_

Once Kiray had made her way back towards where she had met Chodo Habat all those months ago, instead of seeing the aged Ithorian she spotted the grizzled and harried Lieutenant Grenn. His uniform was a mess, but when he spotted the three of them, he actually looked relieved.

"Well, at least we got _somebody_ who'll know what she's doing here," Grenn growled by way of greeting as Kiray folded her hands into the sleeves of her robes. "Right, we've been holding them off for the last couple hours, but the module doors are starting to lose their integrity. If they keep this up, we're gonna exhaust what fuel we've got left."

"What, Vogga hasn't started up the shipments from Sleheryon yet?" Mira asked, her mouth curved in a scowl as she shook her head in disbelief. Grenn shrugged, and Kiray made a mental note to dispatch Mira to Nar Shaddaa to ask Vogga what was up. No doubt the huntress could use the exercise.

The floor shook, and a com twittered before a frantic, young male voice shouted, "Module door breached! The Sith're taking up positions to –" The com burst ended in a sudden crackle of static. Grenn started cursing, and Kiray turned, her mouth open and ready to start spouting orders when Bao-Dur raised a hand.

"We know what to do, General," he said, and Kiray smiled at him as he and Mira dashed out. Kiray tossed Grenn a short salute before heading out after them, but a pair of invisible hands grabbed her robe's hood and dragged her to the side. Kiray fought down a yelp, but relaxed when she saw the owners: one hand belonged to Jak, and the other the gloved gauntlet of Mandalore, the T-visor staring down at her. Kiray immediately relaxed.

"Thanks for you two to show up! How's about helping clear the place, huh?" Kiray asked, but Jak clamped the chilly metal right hand over her mouth, her navy eyes latched onto Kiray's in all seriousness.

"TSF and Reps are combing the station for me, Kir," Jak hissed, and Kiray's eyes widened. "I can help as best I can, but I'm gonna have to do this quiet-like, OK?" Kiray nodded her understanding, but Jak didn't remove her hand. Mandalore got in a bit closer.

"I am going to call Kelborn, tell him to mass what forces we have and help assault the Sith flagship. I'll meet with you before you assault it; don't take all the fun before we hit station, huh?" Kiray heard him chuckle, and she smiled under the hand over her mouth. Jak nodded and, after removing her hand and tossing her a two-fingered salute before she dashed off. Mandalore gave her a full salute before vanishing. Kiray sighed.

"Those two better not get themselves killed..."

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Jak went running before she found the vent she'd entered through and scrabbling into it. Her heart was pounding, but her head was still clear before she dropped down into a white-lit corridor and started jogging. Even though she knew Carth had, technically, sold her out, she didn't grudge him for it. In fact, she lauded him for it; the man was finally using his instincts, and, if his instincts told him he needed her so much to send out search parties, then by all means, do it! And he had.

Jak slipped behind a corner as a troop marched past, all wearing the red and yellow of a Republic uniform. She looked them over once or twice before they vanished, and she sighed. These guys weren't out for her. Or maybe they hadn't gotten the memo, but either way, Jak still had to be careful.

Once the troopers were gone, Jak poked her head out and started up her jogging again. Just because she, as usual, had Reps on her tails, did not mean that she couldn't get in on some Sith action herself. For example, right now, when, as she stepped out, seven or so Sith soldiers marched around the same corner the Reps had appeared. Jak froze. They froze.

"It's Revan! Get her, it's Revan!" one shouted, and Jak sprang in the air towards them, her right wrist flicking to release her lightsaber into her left hand, and then quickly activating it after it returned to her right, just in time to bring the forward blade crashing down onto the one that had shouted. The other six brought up their blaster rifles, and Jak blocked the incoming shots, directing them right back to their shooters. It wasn't too long after that all six Sith were taking a dirt nap. Jak sighed and looked them over, pocketing a few credits and grabbing one or two grenades before jogging on.

Jak encountered no other offense until she reached the fighter bays. She spotted a whole squadron of pilots held at blasterpoint, and the fighters sitting in the bay were lying open invitingly. Jak looked over the pilots, and then the fighters, before looking back at the pilots. _Hells, what is it with me and Republic pilots?! __Flyboy, you so owe me._ She broke cover, striding confidently towards the pilots and carefully spreading her pointer and middle droid fingers to let the tiny hold-out blaster peer out. She was only a few feet from the pilots when the first Sith stopped her.

"You! Yes, you, in the funky armor! Get your ass over here," he barked, and Jak put on a look of deepest offense as she carefully walked to him. "This area's restricted, civilian, so get outta here. _Now_."

"That's no way to talk to _me_, trooper," Jak scowled, gingerly putting the tips of her metal fingers against the sides of his neck, right onto his arteries. Even though the visor blocked his expression, she felt his shock and consternation. "Now, release these men. Preferably immediately."

"You got no rank," the soldier snarled. "Don't you order me around!"

"Too bad."

The blaster shot that rang out echoed even after in pierced his jugular, and when the rest of the Sith started firing, Jak shouted to the pilots, "Stay down!" before retreating to assemble her pride and joy: a blaster rifle that was not only a plain blaster, but a grenade launcher and sniper rifle. She had bought it all those years ago on Taris, and it had saved her life more than once.

The rifle's name was laser-etched onto the barrel: _Jaxar__Veris_. Jak just called it 'Jax'.

When Jak stood up from behind the crates, Jax firmly tucked against her shoulder in blaster mode, most of the Sith troopers had grabbed a pilot hostage. Jak flicked a switch, and Jax's blaster barrel lengthened as a fancy laser scope popped out. Jak sighted a Sith head past a pilot, held her breath..._blam_ A pilot was released, and he ducked behind a few crates as a Sith whirled to shoot him, giving Jak another opening to shoot him down. The new pilot leaped in next to her, and he looked up at her before nodding to Jax.

"Got a spare?" he asked, and Jak reached into a crate and randomly pulled out a blaster pistol and tossed it to him before lining up the next Sith. The pilot wasn't a bad shot, either, and soon, the entire squad was freed and moving fast.

"Ma'am, they killed Silver Leader; we've got a free fighter, if you want it," the pilot who'd fought with her offered, holding out a flight helmet. Jak looked at it and grinned before taking it.

"Pilot, that was why I came down here in the first place." Jak looked out through the docking bay force field, her eyes glued to the flagship of the Sith. She pointed at it for the pilot to see. "And that is my target."

The pilot stared, looking flabbergasted. "You've gotta be crazy! We can't take that whole thing down!" Jak looked at him and smirked.

"Crazy? Naah...I'm Corellian."

If anything, the pilot looked scared.


	48. Catch and Release

CHAPTER XLVII: Catch and Release

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Silver Squadron roared out of their docking bay, soaring straight up and away from the station. Jak, donning the flight helmet and leading Silver Squadron as their impromptu 'Silver Leader', clicked her com open.

"Silver Squadron, this is Lead. Call in, then split into your flights. Alpha, on me after the enemy star cruiser. I want Beta and Gamma to fly cover on us, got it?" Relative silence. "Good. All fighters report in."

"Sliver Two, standing by."

"Silver Three, ready to rumble."

And so on, until all twelve fighters were live, and eight of the fighters swerved back towards the station, lasers blazing after the Sith bombers harrying the station. Jak and Silvers Two through Four screamed on towards the lead Sith capital ship. Jak heard Silver Three, a gruff Telosian, mutter something.

"Say that again, Silver Three," Jak ordered, and Silver Three cleared his throat.

"Lead, I know this ship. I saw it on Malachor. I shot it, although with seventy other guns." Jak closed her eyes. She hadn't seen anything from the space battle, being busy on the ground, but she recalled that one ship in particular had cause lots of sky-bound problems. Jak glanced at the Identify Friend-Foe screen.

The ship's name was _Ravager_. And it certainly was from Malachor.

"Three, take Four around to the back, screw the engines some. Two, get on me while we blast out the front," Jak ordered, and the four fighters split into pairs, one swinging around towards the rear of the ship (and simultaneously drawing off turbolaser fire on a small shuttle that had just soared up from the station) and the other rocketing to the front.

Jak squeezed the triggers up and down the hull of _Ravager_, fires springing from the scarred metal as she clipped on up, flashing the command bridge a good view of her fighter's underbelly. She pinwheeled back around, staring the front down. She may not have been able to see him, but she knew he saw her, and hungered for her power.

_Hello, Nihilus. Long time, no see._ There was no reply, but Jak was too busy getting a nice big red target painted on the bridge, before she wrangled her coms into the Mandalorian frequencies. Kiray had probably had enough time bought for her to go after the bridge by now.

"_Mando jetii_, this is Jak Donar, calling the local Mandalorian Jedi, do you copy?" Jak said into her coms, and the assorted signals in Mandalorian code stopped dead. Jak waited patiently until she heard Kiray's voice in her ear.

"Jak! How did you get this signal?!"

"No time to explain, Kir. Lemme just say that the Reps need to improve how well they sweep for security. Too easy," Jak stated, and Kiray snickered. "Listen, I got me a nice target I could blow to hells right now, but I wanna make sure the good guys get a crack at the nasty Sith lord, OK? So, either I fire now, or I can fire later."

"We're outside the bridge right now; your timing couldn't be more perfect. But let's do this the old-fashioned way first, and if the _darjetii ordinii_ just won't drop, we'll call you in. That work out?" Jak snickered; she had missed Kiray's wit, and, if anything, it was sharper now that she as fully revealed as a _mando'ad_.

"Sounds good to me. Just wave your 'sabers at me when you want a proton torpedo straight up Nihilus' backside." Kiray laughed, and Jak made her way back into legal Republic com lines. "Right, Silver Two, I'm clearin' you to go off and mess with the engines with Three and Four. I've got info that the strike team on the ship's gonna need some air support."

"I ain't leavin' you, Lead. I'll watch your back, because you've got six coming up on your tail," Two answered, and Jak grinned as the fighter wheeled past her, close enough for her to see Two give her a salute. She returned it, and waited.

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"If you wish to gather your strength," Visas murmured as Kiray stowed away the comlink after Jak signed off, "now is the time."

Kiray looked at Visas, and she saw the Miraluka smile faintly as she bowed her head. She and Mandalore had persuaded the other Jedi to don a Mandalorian heavy suit rather than her thin leather jerkin and wine-red skirt, but she had refused to remove her veil. Kiray was grateful for that, and she hoped Visas felt the same way, because that simple armor had saved her when her robes wouldn't have.

Kiray turned her gaze to Mandalore, who, after his helm had been destroyed, was revealed to be a grizzled, gray-haired man with stone-hard black eyes. The heavy repeater resting in his hands was his personal weapon, and Kiray had seen what it could do to a simple Sith soldier who was unprepared. The ready ones ended up worse off. Mandalore returned her meaningful glance, with one equally so.

Kiray faced the door and closed her eyes. Through the Force, she could see the pure dark Sith Lord, waiting for her. Slowly, listening to the beat of her heart, Kiray's heel gently rapped the metal floor. She kept the beat, and, after a little while, she began to chant in a resonant, rich alto tone.

"_Kandosii sa ka'rta...vode an."_

Mandalore looked at her in shock; he hadn't expected her to know a battle chant, if she had run away from _Manda'yaim_ at the tender age of sixteen. Visas looked on as Kiray continued:

"_Mando'ade adenn...mhi vode an. Bal kote! Darasuum kote! Jorso'ran...kando a tome. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn...kad vode an._" In Basic, it went something like: 'One indomitable heart, brothers all. We are the rage of Mandalorians, brothers all. And glory! Eternal glory! We shall bear its weight together. Forged like the saber in the fires of death, brothers all.'

Mandalore chanted the words under his breath as Kiray sang them again, the only music the rhythmic thumping of her heel against the cold floor. Visas hummed softly on the third time around, and, once the fourth repetition ended, Kiray stopped the thumping, and opened her eyes. The mismatched colors flared with a fire deep and hot, the fire known by Mandalorians and their adversaries as _manda_: their spirit, the part that endured after death. It was with this fire that Kiray stared through the door, as if the fires within her would melt the door open. Instead, she spoke a single sentence.

"Time to end this."

She touched the door's lock, and it opened without argument. Kiray strode forward, eyes burning, flanked by Mandalore and Visas. The trio climbed the short flight of stairs and walked straight forward. The Sith workers down below made no movement to turn them from fighting their master. Kiray walked straight up to face Nihilus.

"So."

The Sith Lord, shrouded in black, turned to face her. Kiray started to get her lightsaber, but her gaze was locked onto the empty black vortexes that served as Nihilus' eyes. There was no shifting her eyes from that spot, and the two polar opposites stared each other off.

The longer Kiray stared at Nihilus, the more her will waned. She saw reflected in the evil blackness the death of the galaxy, of the Force itself. She watched as she died, and hundreds more worlds fell into anarchy. She watched in horror and heartbreak as Atton, dark and bitter, as he cut down Mira, Brianna, Bao-Dur, Visas, Mandalore...all of their allies. She heard them scream as he killed them all. She even saw her death, at Atton's hands. Her other self stared up at him in absolute sorrow, yet complete and crystalline understanding.

_You did what you had to, _At'ika_. And...I forgive you. For all you did, for all you will do. Know that..._ Ke ka'rtaylir...ni ka'rtayli gar...darasuum.

Still Kiray kept her gaze frozen on Nihilus She would win this fight, even if she died doing it.

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Jak's leg was bouncing as she watched the duel unfold from afar. After a long period where absolutely nothing happened, she saw the deep navy light of Kiray's lightsaber flash to life, along with two reds. One, of course, had to belong to Nihilus; maybe the second red was that Miraluka Kayden had trained before Katarr. She also spotted the angry white lights of Canderous' enormous repeating blaster, and she grinned before her alarms started going off.

"Sithspit, Sithspit, Sith _spit_!" Jak swore as she saved her big target and wheeled to port, just barely avoiding some strafing fire from five Sith fighters. She raced around _Ravager_ trying to dodge the turbolasers well enough so the green blasts would hit her pursuers, but both ends were smarter than that. Jak swore when a blast grazed her viewport.

She made a spiral towards open space, when the open space suddenly wasn't open anymore. Jak stared as a whole fleet of Republic cruisers, gunships, and fighters materialized from hyperspace, and Jak decided to roar past the _Sojourn_'s bridge as their turbolasers roared to life, and Jak sighed in relief as her alarms stopped going off.

"Thanks, _Sojourn_," Jak said into her com as she banked back towards _Ravager_ and recovered her target lock on the bridge. She looked in through the overlarge observation window and saw Kiray's twin beams waving in the air. _They got him. They actually got the bastard._

"Guess that's my cue," Jak muttered as she recovered her tie into the Mando coms and clicked three times. Technically, it was an all-clear, but for Jak, each click meant _get the hell out before I blast the shit out of the bridge_. Kiray immediately broke for the door, and Jak made sure Canderous and Visas (_that was her name!_) got out before Jak switched over to proton torpedoes. "This is for the Jedi."

She squeezed the triggers, and two torpedoes shot out from the tips of the fighter's wings. Jak swung around and kicked the afterburners in, streaking away and pulling alongside a shuttle that had pulled out of _Ravager_'s docking bay. It was a good thing, too, because as soon as they were halfway back to the station, the Republic ships opened fire on _Ravager_. The ship that had been a wreck ever since Malachor V burst into flames, and Jak whooped when it exploded, grinning from ear to ear.

_We saved Telos, flyboy. We're golden._

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The shuttle cruised back into the docking bay, the fighter following, and, when Kiray emerged from the shuttle's ramp, she could hear Jak's war whoops of delight as she danced around her fighter. She couldn't fight a grin when the other Jedi bounced around her.

"Ha, we showed those Sith barves!! We totally kicked their butts!" Jak laughed as she spun around Kiray, her navy eyes glittering with delight. "Oh, they'd better give you an award for this!"

"Well, it remains to be seen, but I think they oughta give _you_ an award for blowing out the bridge, Jak," Kiray said, and Jak shook her head, still grinning. Visas gently touched Kiray's shoulder, and the Mandalorian glanced at her before looking towards the doorway into the bay. Standing there, at attention, were three TSF soldiers, two Republic officers, and Lieutenant Grenn. Jak stopped dancing instantly, and, if anything, she tried to shrink or vanish.

"Shit."

"I think I couldn't have put it better," Mandalore growled as Grenn approached the quartet, the Republic officers close behind him. Jak tried to hide behind Mandalore's broad shoulders, but she herself was so wiry that she couldn't hide well enough. Grenn stopped in front of Kiray.

"Admiral Onasi would like to speak with you, General Talmara," Grenn informed Kiray, and she glanced at Jak out of the corner of her eye. The Corellian wasn't looking at her; she was warily eyeing the Republic officers. They looked right back.

"Is it an order?" Kiray asked Grenn. Truthfully, she didn't know if an admiral could outrank a Jedi general, and it seemed that Grenn didn't know, either, because he shrugged.

"He didn't say anything specifically, but he mentioned it was about a...mutual acquaintance, I think he put it," Grenn explained, and Kiray again glanced at Jak. She didn't move, didn't show any kind of reaction; just kept her gaze firmly locked on the Republic officers.

"All right, I'm coming. Lead the way, lieutenant." Grenn gave Kiray a nod, and she started walking out of the bay with him. Once she was halfway out the door, she heard shouting behind her, and Kiray turned to see Jak making a dash for her borrowed fighter. Mandalore had the other pinned, and Visas was struggling to get the other down. The second officer was holding a blaster pistol, and he fired a blue-green stun blast at her, catching Jak full in the back.

"Stop it!" Kiray yelled, making a turn back towards the bay, but Grenn grabbed her, pulling her back. Jak staggered towards the ladder into the cockpit, but the officer fired again. Jak slipped, and her head hit the rungs before she slumped onto the ground, unconscious. "How dare you! Let her go!"

"I can't stop them, Talmara!" Grenn said angrily, pulling her back before the bay doors closed. "They have their own orders. Please, don't make a scene."

"Why her?! She hasn't done anything!" Kiray shouted, knowing full well that this wasn't entirely true. Grenn just gave her a long look, and Kiray fell silent. If Grenn wouldn't answer her questions, then maybe the admiral _would_.


	49. Right and Easy

CHAPTER XLVIII: Right and Easy

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Kiray felt her temper bubble angrily as Grenn led her on towards the apartment where Admiral Onasi was waiting to speak with her. She wasn't looking forward to the meeting, particularly on the 'mutual acquaintance' end of things or the whole issue with Jak. _Why did those Republic men take her? Is she some sort of threat, just because she was Revan? I thought that she saved the Republic…didn't she?_

The questions chased themselves around in her head before Grenn opened a door and waved her inside. Kiray crossed the threshold into the room, spotting a man in there, looking down at the station below. His brown hair was streaked with faint lines of gray, and he was wearing the bright red uniform she'd seen him in all those months ago on the _Harbinger_: Admiral Carth Onasi. She took a single step in before she took a military attention pose as the door clicked shut behind her. Onasi sighed quietly before speaking.

"It may be a little beat up, but it's still home," he murmured, and Kiray knew he was talking about Telos, so far below. "I wished I could save it once, and, now, I had that chance." He looked up at her with brown eyes that looked almost sad before he finished, "Thank you, general."

"It was nothing, sir," Kiray answered, keeping her back stiff. "Although, from the way Lieutenant Grenn brought me here….and the Republic security that stunned one of my companions…you want to talk to me about something else." She could see his grimace as he fully turned to face her.

"I didn't want...so many rumors flying around, you know..."

"The ones I've heard were true," Kiray snapped. "And seeing as that you and Jak fought together, I'd think that you would actually care more. As the Mandalorians say, she's _gar vod_; your close friend. She should –"

"Mean more to me than anything else?" Onasi finished, slowly turning away again. "I know. She does."

"Then why," Kiray asked, marching up to him, "is she currently sitting in a _shabla_ force cage, without her knight in shining armor to come and rescue her?" Kiray took a few steps back and headed for the door before glancing back. "We have nothing further to discuss, _tsad droten'alor_. Free Jak, and I will be on my way."

Before he could speak, Kiray opened the door, and her robe snapped around the corner. She was intent on walking all the way back to the ship and waiting for Jak to return. Then, they would go to Malachor. _No one else. Just the two who started this whole mess. And fix it._

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Jak whistled a tune up and down as she leaned against the metal support of her force cage, hands behind her head and her foot lightly hopping up and down. Although she _had_ been caught after being one of the agents of Telos's _rescue_, force cages weren't a foreign sight to her. Just a bad memory or two attached...

She sighed and closed her eyes to try and catch some long-needed sleep when the door hissed open. Instantly, Jak was on her feet, mind shielded and fists balled, as the shadow closed the door and carefully stepped into the light. As soon as she saw his face, Jak slumped, and her fists fell, her shields staying high and locked.

"Atton, I'm not the one you need to be talking to," Jak said sharply, keeping herself from saying his old name. "It's Kiray you want to talk to."

"No, Revan," he said, "it's you I'm wantin' to talk to. And I'm not Atton; back to good ol' _Jaq_." Jak flinched at both her old name and the name she had known Atton by so long ago as he entirely emerged from the shadows. His hair wasn't the slightly hazel-brown it had been, and his eyes weren't Kiray's mixed color. Instead, his floppy hair was smoothly combed-back black, and his eyes were a sleepless, angry red. It was a face she had been attracted to once, so very long ago, when both of them were on the same side of the shields.

"Sorry, but I know you better when you loved someone else, _Atton_," Jak prodded, and he snarled faintly. Jak smirked proudly as she circled the edges of her cage, which was dizzying. "I'm long past being Revan, just like you were well past being _him_. Atton, come on. You're better than this, you're better than what Trayt's planted into your skull!"

"_Don't_," he growled, "call me that!" He flicked his wrist dismissively, and Jak lifted her arm to block off the potentially deadly toss. She cocked her head before smiling.

"We're coming for you, Atton. Both of us. You'll see."

Jak trawled herself out from the dream as the doors opened for real, hoping she'd scared him well enough. She had to block her eyes as somebody in a glaring red uniform came in. "Oh my eyes, my _eyes!!_" Jak moaned dramatically before the doors closed, and the red-uniformed man stepped into the faint yellowy lights of the darkened room.

"Hey there, beautiful," Carth Onasi's voice rang above her, and Jak lowered a hand. He hadn't changed...or so he seemed. As she looked closer, Jak noticed that his eyes were shadowed, his hair grayer on the edges, and the orange jacket was replaced with that repulsive red uniform... "Long time."

"Too right it has," Jak grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "'Course, this'd be a lot smoother if I wasn't locked up in a force cage, flyboy." Carth winced to himself, and Jak cocked her head with a little smirk on her face. "Now, see, you saved my butt, and I saved Telos with you. We're square, so, why I'm still locked up here...complete mystery to me."

"Jak, if you hadn't gone, then maybe the Republic would be better than it is now!" Carth snapped, and Jak was instantly on her feet. "First the Jedi Civil War, then Katarr, now _this_! Why did you go?! You could have stayed, we would have been happy..."

"No, we wouldn't have," Jak answered, eyes narrowing. "I would have wanted to go, but if I had stayed...the Republic would be worse off."

"Then why in _hell_ did you leave? In the middle of the night, of all times! Nothing left at all, just a simple note and that's it!"

"Because of what's out _there_, in the Unknown!" Jak barked. "The ones who drew the Mandalorians into attacking the Republic! You remember what Canderous said, when I asked him about why the Mandalorians fought? The _Sith_ made them an offer they couldn't resist! _Sith_, Carth, and the only visible Sith in recent history by then was Exar Kun forty years before!! So I went out to find out why!"

"But you came back," Carth pressed. "_You came back!_"

"Because the situation here proved to be a little more on the 'immediate and potentially destructive' side of things!" Jak shouted, and there was a brief pause as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I went out there, and I have to go back. Carth, you _have_ to understand that –"

"Make me understand, Jak! I didn't get it then, and I certainly don't get it now just why you need to be out there!"

"THEY HAVE MY FATHER!"

There was dead silence once Jak said that. Carth's eyes widened with shock, and Jak turned away from Carth, arms crossed and scowling. Once he had recovered his voice, Carth mused, "But...I thought your father was dead."

"I did, too," Jak answered coldly, "but on a scouting run, I found him, imprisoned, in one of their strongholds. I intend to rescue him, and rip those Sith apart, shadowed limb by shadowed limb. But first...I have to go the Malachor, with Kiray, and so help me, you will _not_ hold me here!"

"Jak, I don't want to lose you again! I nearly did, twice before, and I don't want the third time to be a _charm_!" Carth pleaded, and, when Jak turned, he was startled by the chill both in her eyes and in the air around her.

"Carth...you can't cling to me forever. The Republic needs you more than I do, that's why I had to go so silently, because I _knew_ you'd follow me. Carth...flyboy, you...you have to let me go." She bowed her head, and faint tracks of tears splashed down the green-violet armor. Carth started, deactivating the force cage and quickly embracing Jak as she shuddered in one of her rare crying spells. Her head pressed against his shoulder, and he just held her for the longest time before he gently kissed the top of Jak's head.

"All right...all right," Carth murmured, and Jak lifted her head, her eyes wet with tears. "Just...just promise me something."

"Anythin' you ask, flyboy."

"Come back and marry me." Jak snickered a little.

"Engaged five years now, hasn't it?" Jak asked faintly. 'Well, let's cut one thing over now...marry me right now, Carth. I can follow Kir out to Malachor soon enough."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."


	50. Contemplation

CHAPTER XLIX: Contemplation

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kiray paced around the otherwise empty hold two hours after her chat with Admiral Onasi, scowling deeply. If Atton were still here, he'd have a plan to break his old friend out, but for the life of her Kiray couldn't think more than, _When are they letting her out so we can both beat the _osik_ out of my _shabla darjetii_ brother?!_

She stopped roughly near the empty storage cell, and leaned against it, forehead touching the chill metal. She had waited for so long, and, now, of all times when she needed Jak's aid the most, the _Tsad Droten_ were taking forever to come to a decision, just like the Jedi Council all those years ago. At the barest thought of the Masters, worse than dead in the Academy on Dantooine, Kiray couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes. Before then, her life couldn't have been better: she had her brother, she had Atton and Jak and Mira and everybody else, even the stupid droids. Now all Kiray hoped was that she made it through this alive.

Kiray resumed pacing until there was a hard knock on the entry hatch, and the Mandalorian's robes had just barely flicked around the corner before the hatch was hanging open. Kiray smiled when she saw Bao-Dur, Mira, and Visas there, and Mira scrambled up the ramp first to give Kiray a hug. "Sorry for the wait," the huntress apologized as they stepped apart, allowing Bao and Visas to each greet Kiray in their own way: Bao a firm handshake and Visas a squeeze on the shoulder.

"So, what _was_ with the long wait, anyways?" Kiray asked once they were settled in the _Hawk_'s hold that she'd been pacing. "Are they letting Jak go or what?"

"Sure they are, General," Bao answered soothingly as Kiray tried to start pacing around again. "They have nothing on her, even though she is Revan. Besides, I think she knows the Admiral." Kiray scowled at that and paced anyway; ever since her meeting with Admiral Onasi, her opinion of him had fallen drastically, and even more so since Jak's imprisonment.

"How soon is she getting out? We _do_ have to stop my insane brother, or maybe I should just say _dar'vod_ and have done with it!" Kiray shouted, driving a fist into the wall to vent off some of her frustration. A hand touched her shoulder, and Visas's voice washed over her like cold water.

"Do _not_ blame yourself for your brother's failing. It was and will always be his own. Besides, this is not why we've come."

"Nope, as it turns out, we're here to get you out of this bucket and actually _out_. Having fun, not sulking in here moping over the fact that your brother's out for the Force's destruction, your breakdown and having Atton at his beck and call," Mira said as Kiray turned around. "Sure, all right, you've got more pressing things, but just...be a living human being for once, huh? Just this one night we've all got before you and Jak go off and save the galaxy from possibly the most insane Mandalorian in known history?" Kiray laughed at that and sighed.

"Ah, you're right," Kiray muttered, "I've been a complete pain in the _shebs_ haven't I? It's just...I didn't get a chance to stop and just...realize what's been going on, always one thing after the other. And when we finally got here, after the fight...it all hit pretty hard."

"What would he have done, had your roles been reversed, as they could have been?" Visas asked quietly, and Kiray paused as her mind finally kicked in. _What _would_ Atton do? He wouldn't hide away and sulk because things aren't going his way. He'd go out, have a few drinks, find a few laughs..._

"Let's get out of here," Kiray decided, and Mira knifed her fist in the air before herding Kiray out as fast as she possibly could, declaring that her armor was entirely unfit for public sight. Kiray looked scared for her life.

The duo emerged about half an hour later, and Bao-Dur had to restrain a laugh at both Mira's triumphant look and Kiray's attempt to hide the only partially revealing outfit the huntress had given her. It comprised of a sky blue blouse that had a deep V-neck and ended two inches above her belly button, long black pants that hung over blue and black boots. The blouse was, mercifully, somewhat hidden by a black leather shrug, and Kiray was surprised to find the skull emblem of her clan on the right shoulder.

"Mira, are you absolutely _sure_ about this? I don't know if this is exactly _civilian_," Kiray mumbled, tugging at the blouse vainly to cover some more skin, but Mira smacked her hand away.

"Leave it! You look a heck of a lot better that in those stuffy old robes," Mira persisted, earning a withering glance from Kiray. "Come on, let's get going! There's things to do, people to see! Come _on!_"

Kiray was forcibly dragged out by Mira, and, followed by Bao and Visas, both of whom seemed to be fighting down laughter at Kiray's very different appearance, the quartet left the _Ebon Hawk_.

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"Ready, beautiful?"

"Only when you are, flyboy." Carth grinned at that, even as Jak rubbed a hand along her armor and scowled. "I _really_ should have polished this up before we got here..."

"You look _fine_, gorgeous, stop getting yourself in a knot over it!" Carth protested, and Jak gave him a warning glare. He raised his hands in surrender, and Jak sighed to herself. "What? Don't tell me you're getting second thoughts?"

"Of course not, Carth! Just...well, I've...I've never had to do something like this before." He chuckled at that, and Jak frowned a little. "Hey, I'm serious!"

"So am I, Jak," he replied, and he kissed her on the cheek. "Stop worrying, you'll do _fine_! All it is is just two little words, a ring on the finger, and it's over. Then you go do what you need to do."

"Carth!"

"What?"

"You're making it _worse_, now _shut up_," Jak growled as she playfully jabbed him in the arm, getting Carth to laugh before the doors opened. Jak rigidly came to attention, and even_ her_ eyes widened at the sight before her. There had to be more than fifty people in the same room, and Jak was startled to see the faces of pride and respect as she and Carth walked down the aisle.

The best man turned, and Jak nearly broke ahead as her kid brother, barely more than twenty years old as she remembered, gave her a wink and a grin she knew all too well. Ryder Donar puts a finger to his lips to shush her even as the blue-skinned maid of honor fought down her own happy squeal of delight, and this time Jak _did_ run ahead of Carth and embraced her partner in crime, Mission Vao. Carth tapped her on the shoulder, and Jak reluctantly released Mission before a sullen-looking Canderous Ordo turned around, his armor buffed to parade shine. Jak had to fight down a fit of laughter before Canderous cleared his throat.

"Right, I think we all know why we're here, but I'll damn well say it anyway," he started gruffly, and Jak grinned as she squeezed Carth's hand. "We're here to see these two, Admiral Carth Onasi and Jedi Jak Donar, get themselves married after five _long_ years of engagement. So, now, we get to the important part." Jak took a quick breath as Canderous faced her.

"Jak, do you take this man to be your husband, to love him, honor him, for as long as you both live, which had _better_ be one hell of a long time?" he asked, and that got a wave of laughter.

"I do," Jak answered once the laughs had abated, and she relaxed. The worst part was over, and Mission was giving her double thumbs-up while Ryder's smirk had grown. Jak rolled her eyes as Canderous turned to face Carth, and the soldier straightened as he stared down the leader of the Mandalorians.

"Carth Onasi – Republic – are you going to take the _best_ care of Jak that you can possibly give her, even though she could entirely kick your _shebs_ from here to Coruscant?"

"Is that even a question officially in the program?" Carth quipped right back, and Canderous scowled.

"Just answer it, Onasi."

"All right, all right!" Carth ceded, before he turned to Jak and took her other hand. "I do." Jak then proceeded to leap on him, arms around his neck, and kissed him hard. She barely even heard Canderous sigh at the break in tradition as applause broke out, and Jak smiled when Mission scrambled over to her and slid the ring onto her finger, and then did the same with Carth. Ryder came over and hugged Jak, who, after crying happily into his shoulder, hugged Mission and then kissed Carth all over again.

"All right, they're man and wife, now get outta here!" Canderous ordered, and laughter exploded from the room and wished the couple congratulations, Jak stoically taking them all until three of Kiray's Jedi – Mira and Visas among them – threaded their way through the crowds.

"Hey, congrats! Never knew it'd been _five_ years!" Mira declared, and Jak laughed as Visas bowed low. The Iridonian gave Jak a nod as she looked around; it seemed odd that they were one Mandalorian short.

"Where's Kir? She still sulking over on the ship?" Jak asked, pointedly glancing at Carth, who winced. Mira sighed and ran a hand through her violent red hair, closing her sharp green eyes.

"Moping over life at the cantina," the Zabrak stated quietly, and Jak groaned under her breath. "I don't think she'll be fit...for Malachor."

"She needs time to let the wounds heal a little, before they are torn open again," Visas advised sagely, but Jak didn't exactly hear it. As soon as she heard that Kiray was in the cantina, she immediately shot off towards the Entertainment Module, hoping to find Kiray before she got into a heap of trouble, or to get her out of it.

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Kiray, mercifully, was still coherent when Jak found her, although, by Jak's count, it was her sixth glass of a nameless, clear drink. She sidled over and waved the bartender down, asking for a juma and sliding him a few credits to pay off Kiray's tab. Once the drink came, Jak drank it down before Kiray spoke.

"Drink wi' me?"

"To what, Kir?"

"Th' unfairness of th' 'verse," Kiray mumbled as she sat up a little straighter and looked sadly at her empty glass. "Firs' it'll drive your life 'way, then your _vod_ to 'nsanity, and then swipe the love'f yer life away. An' what's it leave? _Nothin'._" Kiray tried to flag down the barkeep, but Jak easily kept her arm from rising.

"Well, that's a fine enough toast," Jak answered, running her metal index finger around the rim of her glass, "but I really think we ought to see this from a different view."

"How mean?"

"Well, you lost your way of life – twice over, in your case – but if you hadn't, you wouldn't have had such an adventure. You wouldn't have met Atton. And you'd probably either be dead or a Sith by now, anyways." Jak got herself a refill and lifted her glass. "To the good things that occur from the unfairness and inequality of the galaxy."

Kiray barely mumbled a 'here here' before her head slumped onto the table, hard asleep. Jak sighed and drained her glass, laying down a few more credits before getting up and dragging Kiray on out back to the ship. Jak found a bunk once getting back on ship and gently laid Kiray down before poking her head into the turret to grab a bottle of juma and headed for the cockpit, thinking to herself.

Malachor wasn't going to be nice to them just because they'd beaten it once. Nor would the Sith under Trayt's command, or the wildlife, for that matter. But Jak just had that feeling, like the one she'd had before the Star Forge, that, in one way, things were about to go inexplicably to hells, while, in another, things were going to go according to plan.

Jak took a long drink and tossed her head back. So long as nobody died, possibly, then she'd be all right with the situation.

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_"Ah, Jaq, good, you've come," Trayt rumbled agreeably, the whitish light_ _not banishing the bloody, vengeful light from his __eyes. The man bowed, folds of black cloth shrouding his form, and Trayt waved his hand in acknowledgement, allowing the man to rise. Another door across the way opened, and in limped Darth Sion, skin cracked in a hundred different places and black eye glinting menacingly. "And you, Lord Sion. Good, good."_

_"You summoned me, Lord Trayt?" Sion asked in his gravelly voice, and Trayt laughed. The smile on Jaq's face had the predatory look about it, and, almost in that instant, Sion's lightsaber flashed to life. "You wish to end me, do you?"_

_"Nihilus is dead, if you've not heard," Trayt replied bitingly, "as is my own master. The apprentices are taking over, Sion, and your time is over. Besides...Jaq is far more necessary for my plans than you are. He is the key to unraveling the Exile. Revan is of no consequence to me, apart from that she may take a fierce hand in this. I cannot __have...liabilities." A second beam of crimson light burst to thrumming life, and Trayt stepped aside as Jaq began circling._

_"Ready to die at last, Lord Sleeps-With-Vibroblades?" Jaq taunted as he passed Sion's right. The Sith Lord did not move, didn't even make an attempt to follow Jaq's motion. "Not even gonna fight, huh? Now that's a cryin' shame."_

_"The shame," Sion grated quietly as Jaq paused at Sion's back, "is in that you are lost."_

_"Talkin' like a Jedi, now, huh? What, plan on saving me from my wicked ways? Not damn well likely."_

_"Lost in that you have forgotten who you are," Sion rumbled. "You are not Jedi, that is plain enough. But you cannot be Sith, either. You are to walk the middle road."_

_"Enough of this!" Trayt barked, interrupting Sion. Jaq was getting the appearance of doubt on his face, doubt Trayt could not allow his tool to feel, not so close to his goal. Jaq could feel doubt once his thrice-damned sister was dead by Jaq's hand. "Kill him, Jaq. Make him suffer."_

_"With pleasure!" Jaq growled. He sprang at Sion's back, bringing his blade around in a hard, simple slash in front of him. The fight was over within five seconds, and Sion's head gently rolled to Trayt's feet, looking up with a look of serenity and peace upon his face. It was disgusting, and Trayt kicked it away before looking at Jaq. The doubt was still damned there!_

_"Jaq, Sion was a fool. He was weak, as you demonstrated. But the strength of a Sith Lord can only be attained in one way." Trayt strode up to Jaq's face and looked him straight in the eye. The Jedi killer would not fight his gaze, never would, not after Trayt himself had discovered the now-dead Atton Rand's secret. He felt Jaq under his thrall as Trayt intoned, "You shall receive this power when you kill Kiray Fett."_

_Jaq stared a little longer before he bowed his head. "I will kill Kiray Fett, just as you command, master." Trayt felt a smirk upon his face before his tool bowed and walked out._

_Yes, Kiray would die, and at the most poetic he could plan. She was too smart to lay down and die...and she would eliminate his competition. Trayt would kill Revan, Jaq and his noble-minded sister would die by each other's blades, and the Force would die with its champions._


	51. Into the Darkness

CHAPTER L: Into the Darkness

--

Jak fiddled with her wedding band for a good ten minutes before Kiray managed to get the _Hawk_ off the ground and on the way to Malachor V. This married state was _weird_, considering that she had felt about the whole 'to have and to hold' business as something to take only if you were serious about it. She really wasn't, come to think of it.

Kiray climbed up the ladder after the swirls of hyperspace had been going by for a good five minutes, and they just sat in silence for some time before she said, "I won't fight him."

"Trayt? I was certainly hoping so," Jak answered. "He may be your brother, but he's about the strongest Sith Lord I've ever run across, _period_. Best if I take a run at him before he skewers you."

"I don't mean Kahned," Kiray answered with clenched fists and a snarl. "Him I can and will take. I _won't_ fight Atton. I can't fight him, it would be like fighting myself!" Jak saw the hurt in Kiray's eyes, the pain she must have felt when Atton had fallen, and the Corellian put an arm around Kiray's shoulders before nodding upwards.

"Look. Those swirls up there? I hold more to them than any one person, even Carth. I know they're gonna be there, even if I get lost when they go away. It's my safety net. And if anyone's going to bring him back, it's going to be the one person that's always there for him at any time." Jak gave Kiray a meaningful glance, but the Mandalorian still had her gaze upturned.

"That's why they made you a smuggler, wasn't it? They knew you loved the stars."

Jak had no answer. She never really wondered why the Council had erased her – _Revan's_ – memory five years ago, but it was an interesting idea as to why they'd put a smuggler's personality onto her. She could remember, as Revan, that she'd never done a land campaign after Malachor V, perfectly happy to let subordinates do it. She had kept her full tactical genius for space battles..._the lightfights were gorgeous, painting red and green light against the crushing black_.

Jak came out of her reverie in time to hear Kiray say, "Three hours until we hit Malachor. I'm going to get some rest." Kiray climbed back down the ladder, and Jak absently reached for a bottle of juma, but paused before uncorking it. If she was going off to tangle with a Sith Lord far more ambitious than Malak and with Malachor's dark aura in his favor, she'd need something stronger.

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"Jak, what _do_ you think you're doing?" Kiray asked a few minutes before they were due to come out of hyperspace. The dark-haired Corellian was seated at the control yoke, metal hand tapping at switches while the other grasped the control firmly. "I _can_ land this thing, you realize..."

"But have you landed in an atmo like Malachor's?" Jak asked, and Kiray realized that it was a good question, and a very pertinent one. No, she'd never landed in windstorms with electricity arcing out of the clouds every few minutes. She settled in the copilot's seat, frowning a little as she thought about what Jak had said. If she was the only who could bring Atton back from the dark hold Kahned had on him, who was to say that he would drag her down the same path?

_He cannot! He will not!_ Kiray affirmed to herself. She was a Weapon Master of the Jedi, maybe not as powerful as one of the Masters quite yet, but she felt like she couldn't be tempted.

"Coming out of hyperspace in five," Jak announced, and Kiray took her time to get strapped in. She realized four seconds later that Jak didn't mean _minutes_. They jolted out of hyperspace, and Kiray made a grab at the console in front of her so she didn't pitch through the front. Sure enough, hanging past broken hulks of ships seven years dead was a world warped by its own gravity and almost evenly divided in two. Malachor V had not changed.

"Where're we putting down?" Kiray asked, watching as the planet drew nearer. Jak frowned as she put them in orbit, taking a look at the scanners.

"If I remember right, there's a big enough clearing not far from what's most likely Trayt's base of operations...and where he'll want to trap us. I'll get us as close as I can, but it may get bumpy." Jak nodded at the almost finished straps around Kiray's waist. "Might wanna finish those off before we land."

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Kiray replied, getting settled back and got strapped down. She closed her eyes and took a quick sense of the world, and felt only darkness. It was centered somewhere to the northeast of Malachor, and there were two dark masses that she could make out, one being most definitely Kahned. Kiray reached for the other, wanted to pull the darkness off of it, but it almost immediately vanished from her grasp. Her eyes snapped open while Jak flew them straight downwards, barely holding the _Hawk_ steady as they bobbed through the turbulence and Jak swore when the first dark gray spire of rock appeared out of the fog.

"Dammit, dammit, _dammit!_" Jak chanted as she twisted the yoke back and forth, until there was a bare snippet of calm, and Jak started bringing them down. Kiray noticed that her impromptu pilot's grip was deathly tight, but they came down in a nearly perfect straight line in a canyon just large enough to admit the _Hawk_'s width. Kiray nearly shivered at the feeling of cold that leaked through the metal plates; this planet was pure _evil_. Jak got up, and, obviously fighting her own tremors of dark side energy, walked boldly down the hall towards the ramp.

"How do we plan on getting in?" Kiray asked as she shrugged her robe on and made sure her lightsaber was in easy reach. Jak just gave her a wan smile.

"Easy," she replied. "We go in through the front door."

Kiray's eyes widened at that statement, and had to dash after Jak because the Corellian was nearly running into the wider crevasse just beyond their current ravine. Kiray nearly stopped dead at the fine pavework instead of rough-hewn rock, and Kiray turned in awe to see a vortex-like front to what looked like an academy. Kiray stared a few seconds longer before she caught up to Jak, who was standing in front of a bridge that reached across a deep chasm and led right to the red-lit entrance.

"That the door?" Kiray asked, glancing at Jak.

"Yep."

"We go in?"

"Yep."

"You take Kahned, I take everybody else?"

"Hey, at least leave _me_ some exercise. I may be tougher than most, but I still need my warm-up."

"Are we going to talk or go have some fun?"

"_Now_ you speak my language."

Side by side, Jak and Kiray strode across the bridge. Even though there was no wind, Kiray's sky-blue robe snapped as she walked, and she could see starlight glinting from her chestplate, reminding her of that night on Dxun. The sleeper was awake. Now it was time for her to make her war.

Kiray paused when she saw Jak had stopped, and stared as twelve Sith assassins appeared out of nowhere. She reached for her weapon and was ready to jump into battle, but the six pairs formed rows parallel to their path, and they bowed with respect. Jak nudged her, and whispered, "Welcome to Trayus, Sith Lords our specialty."

Kiray grinned at Jak's last bit of humor, and, with head held high and lightsaber in hand, Kiray led them into the academy...and into the darkness that awaited them on the other side.

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From the ramp of the _Ebon Hawk_, Mira stuck out her head, looking around at the inhospitable surroundings they had reached. She sighed and blew on of her bangs out of her face, muttering, "Why can't we ever go someplace _nice_, like Alderaan, or Chandrila? But no, it's always the Sith-infested holes..."

Making sure she had both of her blasters and lightsaber on her belt, Mira left the ship, closing it just in case anything tried to make a rampage, and started heading for the exit. She stopped just short, hearing the padding of feet on the stone behind her, and her eyes narrowed in both suspicion and familiarity. Slowly, she turned, shaking her hair out of her eyes again, and had her suspicion confirmed.

Coming out from behind the ship was a seven-foot, dark-furred, sword-carrying Hanharr. Just as Mira wasn't glad to see him, neither did he look pleased to see her.

"Hanharr. I would've sworn you were dead after Nar Shaddaa," Mira quipped, putting her hands on her hips and staring him down. Hanharr snarled at her, reddish eyes narrowed to slits. He looked bad, all right; fresh scars still oozed from under his fur, and older ones stretched in the flashes of lightning. Mira's hands twitched over a blaster and her lightsaber, until she heard someone come up behind her. Immediately, she whirled, and couldn't help but fend off a grin.

"Need some help?" Bao-Dur asked, a faint grin of amusement on his face and that remote bobbing just over his shoulder. :Looks like you two know each other; bad times?"

"You could say that..." Mira forced jokingly before red-robed Visas glided almost silently down the ramp. "Hey, gang's all here."

"Is it so obvious?" Visas asked with that blunt mystique that Mira never really could understand, but the Miraluka came up next to her and lit up her lightsaber. Bao came up on her other side, and Mira grinned at Hanharr.

"Any last words, furball?" she asked, but the walking carpet seemed to be too stunned for words, eyes staring at Visas' lightsaber. Mira couldn't help but cackle to herself as she ignited the orange blade of her own lightsaber, and Bao's blue-violet completed the spectrum. "No? Well, I've got words for you. It's all even."

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_"They're comin'," Jaq told the assassins. Assassins just like him, but Jaq knew he was way better than these wimps, on every level. "Scatter through the crescent and proving grounds, I'll wait in the upper part of the Academy. Just so ya know...you are gonna die. Your job's to slow Rev and the exile down, long enough from Lord Trayt to get started on his final little project for his dear sister. Got it?" Silence met him, but he could feel their consent through the Force. "Then get goin'."_

_So they split up, and Jaq started pacing the now-empty chamber just above the heart of Malachor. He knew what he had to do. He knew he had to kill Kiray Fett, not just because Trayt told him to, but because of the power that would come from it. The echoes of her second death would be enough to virtually end the Force, exactly as Trayt and his master had planned so long ago. And yet...he paused his pacing, staring at the blank walls. Just wondering._

_What if Trayt hadn't shown him Kiray's betrayal? Was it even betrayal, or did he...lie? Manipulate him? Then...no, he had to stop this. Kiray had lied, she had hidden all her lies with so-called 'good intentions', and had made him give up his only secret, made him swallow his pain whole. He wouldn't let her inside like the other Jedi. If she did make it in, because of that stupid, over-controlling bond...he'd do the exact same._

_Jaq shoved out any doubt leftover from his now-dead other half from his mind. He knew they were here. He had to be ready for it when they came. Revan would tumble past, unable to take him down before getting locked into the core with Trayt. Then Kiray would come, and it would be so easy to tear her down, make her admit to the deceit she'd told everyone, and then end her. And then...Jaq smiled to himself. After Kiray's death, the way was clear to take out the big man himself. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could talk Revan back into what they'd had way back when, and they could take out the Republic and rule a new Sith Empire together._

_It was a dream come true. But it would take one step at a time. First, he had to kill Kiray, and, once that was done...Jaq smiled to himself, and resumed his pacing. _


	52. Eruption

CHAPTER LI: Eruption

--

Jak was expecting an attack once they crossed inside Trayus, and, sure enough, one came right at her and Kiray in the form of what dressed like a Dark Jedi Knight. Jak only had to snap out her lightsaber and bring it crashing down through his shoulder to send him to the floor, deader than a doornail. Kiray had already leaped past Jak's first kill, taking on two Sith assassins with a blast of lightning to one and a swift stab through the stomach on the other. Jak quietly walked forward as Kiray deactivated her lightsaber, but the violet light from the Corellian's blades persisted as they met in the middle of the main hall.

"All right, Kir, there's going to be a whole lotta Sith scumbags around here," Jak warned her, raising her left index finger in warning. "Mercifully, though, they don't keep coming unless you walk right into them. So, you go that way." She waved in the general direction of the right with her lightsaber. "Meantime, I'll go the other way, and we'll hopefully meet somewhere in the middle."

"Any idea where Trayt is?" Kiray asked, brisk and short. It was as if she were asking Jak from an assassination order on that deranged upstart. Jak frowned.

"Only that he's probably down in the core of the Academy, which is accessible right through that wall." She pointed to the sculpture at the end of the hall. "Only way to get there is w0rk our ways up each side, clearing out his little students as we go, and meet in the center. Then I'll go down and handle Trayt, you stay topside and 

guard my back. I won't have any more Sith on my back while dueling their esteemed lord and master." Jak put on a phony Kuati accent and languidly flourished her left hand, finally getting Kiray to smile. They were both going to need it.

Jak went first, peeling off to the right and dispatching four Sith assassins before rounding the corner. Four more waited around Kiray's turn, but the Mandalorian fried them all with another blast of lightning. Jak balled her fist and let a small cloud of frost rise from her hand. Kiray mimicked her, lightning arcing between knuckles in a blue-white light. Jak nodded and opened her door. She only had time to see a cluster of six assassins and one Dark Jedi lying in wait before she unleashed her power. Ice clung to the walls when the clouds faded, and the Sith were either frozen against the wall or in their places. Jak didn't worry over them; her Force ice was most certainly not like any other ice in the galaxy, because it didn't melt. Glancing back out to toss a salute to Kiray with the front blade of her lightsaber before walking into the curved halls.

The door ominously locked behind her.

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Kiray was glad Jak had warned her of what was ahead; these Sith weren't so bad to tackle as they most likely would have been if only it had been two years earlier. She knifed her navy blades through a pair of assassins before pausing, taking 

a quick sense for any more of them. Relaxing only slightly, she deactivated her blades.

Her turn had led to a long, sweeping corridor dotted with majestic windows, not to mention not exactly packed with low-level Sith – the majority of them powerless assassins, a fair smattering of Dark Jedi, several blaster-wielding troopers. So far, there had only been one or two self-titled Sith Lords and Sith Marauders; new flavors Kiray hadn't been aware of until she utterly crushed their sorry skills. And with every step, every sweep of her Force sense, she felt one of the dark nexuses getting closer..._Atton_.

Kiray stabbed her lightsaber into a wall, testing the stone to see if she could somehow pierce through and get to him. No luck, but it stuck rather than slithering down to the floor, allowing Kiray to pause for a little longer, sitting on the floor and meditating a little. Unconsciously, she traced her way along the bare thread that was her bond with Atton, crossing it quickly else it would break. Kiray instantly ran into a wall, a wall of cold, hard hate and anger. Quietly, she brushed against it, warming it slightly.

_I know you're still there, Atton,_ she whispered to it, rubbing back and forth against the wall. Even if his feelings were all against her, it felt better than being alone. _I know because I'm here...he hasn't killed you yet. I'm coming. And I already know what I'm going to say._ She retreated from the bond before he could attack her across the bond, and Kiray stood up, pulling her lightsaber out of the wall and activating the opposite end.

There was only one way this was going to end. Kiray had made her peace with the world, with Jak, with her crew, with herself. No matter what happened, she was ready for whatever Atton threw at her. Because she had already forgiven him.

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Mira, Visas, and Bao-Dur came across corpses when they entered the Academy, Mira leading because she could easily sense Kiray and Revan. Visas was at her right shoulder, and Bao-Dur had a blaster out, as if wary of anything that came at them if they weren't ready. Mira didn't like the thinking behind it, but she was secretly glad that something definitely lethal was out. Not like a lightsaber was any different, but a blaster just felt _safer_.

"They split up," Mira declared when they reached the end of the hall. She could feel the definite crackle of Kiray's presence snaking off one way, and a bright chill powering on the other. "Right, I'll go after Kir, you two can go after Revan."

"Revan is fine on her own," Visas murmured, her voice echoing despite the low volume. "It is the Exile we need to be afraid for."

"The General wouldn't put herself in danger. I'll go for Revan." Mira nodded at Bao-Dur, before the Iridonian holstered his gun and pulled out his lightsaber before quietly opening the door scoured with Revan's aura and vanishing behind it. The huntress looked at Visas, scowling faintly.

"Look, you don't have to run around after me. Better, you should find some way to soften up Trayt," Mira tried to reason, but Visas looked way far away, causing Mira to grumble under her breath. She had never really understood why the Miraluka had jumped onto the ship, even though it had been before she'd jumped onto the _Hawk_.

So Mira trotted off down the opposite hall, feeling Kiray a wide distance ahead of her, but doubling back. She was dimly aware of Bao-Dur trailing Revan, who had seemed to have vanished out of the Force. _Great. An ex-Sith with a vanishing act_. She went past a column of dead Sith, before reaching an open door, crackling with energy. Mira still clenched her lightsaber, while her other hand strayed for her blaster. Slowly, her green eyes glimmering at the closing darkness ahead of her, Mira crossed through the doorway.

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Jaq paced back and forth, eyes closed, in front of the door that led down to Malachor's core. Now there weren't just _two_ Jedi in the academy; there were _five_. Mira...Bao-Dur...the Miraluka. This was going to get interesting. Maybe instead of waiting for Kiray, he should hunt down those other three, kill them fast, find Revan. Then persuade Revan, kill Kiray and Trayt, and then...then the galaxy would be open for him and Revan to rule.

_Are you crazy?_ Jaq stopped his pacing and halted, scowling as he heard that voice in his head again. _Y'know, on Dantooine, you were pretty quick to let me and Kir walk all over you. And Revan socked you one so hard...you think you can sway her back?_

"Shut _up_, you have no say in this," Jaq snarled under his breath. If only he could dredge out his other half like what had happened at Dantooine; should have finished the job of killing him. The voice prodded him again, hard.

_You just don't want to admit it! You don't wanna admit that you _know_ she's gonna kill you now. You were stupid to believe that idiot when he took you to Telos; should have fought them off!_

"They came up like ghosts! How was I supposed to get them?! It was _you_ who didn't fight them!"

_Yeah, right. And I'm the king of Corellia._ Jaq scowled, activating his lightsaber. It was like he could see those squirming Jedi in front of him, wearing a multitude of faces: all of his victims, the one Jedi that had ripped through his mind and showed him the Force, Mira, Bao-Dur, Visas, even that snotty historian. Himself, the Jedi half..._Kiray_. She looked at him with the most peaceful face, and Jaq faltered in his angry tide.

_I know you're still there..._

Jaq took a step back from his imagined kill, red-yellow eyes widening. Kiray's voice echoed in his head, rubbing against his wall of forced emotion. She _dared_ to reach him! He was about to strike, but her voice whispered on: _I know you are...because I'm here. He hasn't killed you yet._ Of course Trayt hadn't killed him, how stupid it was to say that!

_I'm coming_. Like that was a surprise...but something inside Jaq wanted to see her, see that perfectly serene face. _And I already know what I'm going to say_. The contact vanished, and Jaq stood, alone, in the antechamber. What was she going to say? He had done...

No! He was doubting himself again, letting the other Rand loosen Jaq's control. Jaq forced that warmth down, forcing it out of himself before he hurled his lightsaber at the wall. The blood-red blade plunged through the stone, quivering as it turned yellow at the huge amount of energy. Frowning, Jaq pulled the lightsaber back out, deactivating it. Kiray was coming. He _had_ to be ready to kill her.

He hoped Revan wouldn't be too far behind. She had vanished from feeling; was she dead? No, that was impossible: no Sith here was strong enough to kill Darth Revan. But there were a lot of them in the proving grounds...if Revan was dead, that was just a minor setback. It might take years, but so long as Kiray died and he took on 

the power that beckoned from the shadows...the apprentice always killed the master. It was the way of the Sith.

_Then again_, the voice of Atton Rand commented snidely, _you don't really walk either side of the line._


	53. Forgiven

**A/N:** ANGST ALERT AHEAD!! MUCH ANGST, STOP IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE TEH ANGST!! (but do R and R. It's almost over! Thanks to all my readers!)

* * *

CHAPTER LII: Forgiven

--

Jak moved silently through the now-empty Trayus proving grounds, eyes glinting as she doubled back to the workbench she'd found, keen on getting in a few last upgrades before she fought Atton and Trayt in probably quick succession. She dropped her lightsaber and a handful of parts onto the bench before prying her lightsaber open.

The past half an hour had been a flurry of battles, over and over again, against Sith and Dark Jedi of all levels and down to the usual troopers and turrets. And they didn't keep coming, a relief from her last major fight. _But that's only because this is a shadow war, Jak. No one's gonna write about the tiny scuffles of one Jedi and one Sith like they are about the end of the Jedi Civil War, as they call it._

Upgrading her lightsaber only took five minutes, but Jak spent another twenty tightening up her arm, clumsily working her left hand as she tightened up the hydraulics. She did pause though, when she heard footsteps behind her. Slowly, Jak set down the hydrospanner, reaching carefully for the fusioncutter, before she heard the newcomer speak.

"You need any help with that?" Jak relaxed and turned to see the Iridonian tech, Bao-Dur, looking at her with a faint smile on his tattooed face. Even though she had thought the _Hawk_ had been empty save for herself and Kiray, Jak was glad that they'd been followed.

"Couldn't have had better timing, tech," Jak answered, carefully holding up her mechanical right arm. "This thing hasn't been tightened up for five years, and my left hand didn't pick up on any of what my right hand did." Bao smirked as he came up next to her, picking up a few tools and carefully tuning up Jak's arm.

"I never thought I'd ever stand face-to-face with you, Revan, and end up making sure you were ready to fight." Jak shrugged a little, twinging inside at being called by her old name. She didn't answer, though, not until the Zabrak was done. "There. Shouldn't give you any problems for awhile."

Jak held up her arm, stretching the elbow back and forth without pulling at the fine, nerve-like circuits hidden away inside before flexing her wrist and each of her fingers. Satisfied, she picked up her lightsaber and put it in the storage slot in her arm. "Thank you. And please, don't call me Revan."

"I'll try to remember that...Jak." She smirked at him, and led him out of the tiny room. "Mira's going after Kiray, and I think Visas is trying to do something to weaken Trayt and Atton."

"I can guess what she's going to try," Jak replied. Bao-Dur had no answer to that as she led him up to the door of the upper part of the actual academy. _The part that'll take us to the core. And Trayt._

The room was empty when they came in, but when Jak opened the door that led into the core's antechamber, she blocked Bao-Dur from crossing inside. The tech stared at her, eyes asking why he couldn't enter, but Jak shook her head minutely. No one, excepting her and Kiray, could possibly survive what was in this room. And only Jak could even have the chance to tackle Trayt. Once Jak was sure Bao-Dur was going to stay put, she carefully went into the room, fists clenched, keeping to the walls before she saw him.

Jak wasn't startled to see him there, all in black. But what did startle her was how much Atton had gone back to looking like Jaq; the neatly brushed-back black hair, skin pale enough to signal his slide to the dark side, but not enough to incite rumors of him being a Dark Jedi. She fought down a mental sigh; she wasn't Revan, she didn't love him anymore. Jak could still respect him, but only as Atton, and only as a friend. She made it to the door down into the core before he turned to face her. Jak locked her jaw when he smiled at her, but it didn't warm her to see it again because Jak couldn't accept what it suggested.

"Hey, Rev," he said quietly. "I missed you, babe."

"I thought I did," Jak answered, equally low. "But then a few things happened that changed my mind. Not to mention I'm married now."

"I never stopped loving you," Atton pressed, stepping close to her. "Rev...I know you can kill him. Kill Trayt. I'm still loyal to you, and you alone. You kill him, I can kill the exile, and we can be together again! Just you and me, no Malak, no other Sith. Like the old days, Revan." Jak closed her eyes, refused to look at him, but Atton touched her chin and lifted her face to try and meet her gaze.

"I said _no_. I'm married now, Atton. You love someone else. I won't go back to what was taken away long ago," Jak said quietly, jerking her jaw out of his grip and flicking her wrist. "And I won't let you kill Kiray!" Atton's kind face turned into a snarl, and before Jak could freeze him in place, she was thrown back through the opening door behind her, sprawled out on her back. She forced herself up, eyes widening when she saw a familiar blue flash appear behind Atton, amber and brown eyes narrowed.

"Kiray! No, don't fight him!" Jak yelled, but Atton's hand flashed down, and the door slammed downwards. Jak lurched forward just before it locked, and she pounded her fist into it, squeezing her eyes shut.

_The two of them are going to fight. And neither of them is going to come out alive...unless I remove Trayt from the picture._ Jak pressed her forehead against the cold stone, tapping the door once before turning around and staring down the long, dark hallway ahead.

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Kiray saw Atton looking down into Jak's stoic face, breath catching as she sensed the tender love towards the former Sith. She tried not to leap forward right then and there, but she did when Jak turned away, going for her lightsaber. The two of them could double up against him, and, hopefully, Kiray could talk sense into him before either of them got horribly wounded.

She started walking when Atton shoved Jak through the door, and froze when her eyes met Jak's.

"Kiray! No, don't –" She couldn't hear the rest of Jak's warning, before Atton used the Force to sweep the door down, locking ominously, before her turned to face her.

She tried to swallow her tears when she saw him, all in black, pale-skinned, and eyes full of hate and anger when they had looked at her with love the last time she'd seen him. Kiray tightened her grip on her lightsaber as he strode away from the door, hands resting on his belt.

"Hello..._exile_," Atton spat coldly, meeting Kiray's gaze. She drew herself up, tall and proud, staring right back.

"Atton. I knew you were here."

"So did I. And you aren't going any further than this room." He waved around idly, as Kiray gently shrugged down her robe, the soft blue fabric pooling at her feet as her heart pounded in her ears. Atton's hands tensed over his lightsabers as she gently grasped her own.

"That's fine, _cyar'ika_," Kiray replied softly, mismatched eyes lowered. "I only wanted you to see me, and I you. This is as far as I planned to come. Because...there's one thing I wanted to tell you." Atton started circling, as Kiray raised her gaze, staring straight ahead, grasping at what was left of the bond between herself and Atton, fondly remembering their time together...

"And _what_ is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked, stopping right in front of her. Kiray took a slow, deep breath before raising her gaze, memorizing his face for one last time. She blinked slowly, sighing slightly.

"You asked me once, how tough it was, to be a Jedi. How I fared without a family...without a husband. I know the answer to that, now." She took a ginger step forward, wanting so much to reach up to him, feel Atton's warm embrace around her. Kiray forced herself to continue, "I couldn't. Not after all we've been through. _Ner aliit_ is you, Mira, Bao, Visas, Jak, Mandalore...everyone. And my love has been, always been...for you." She looked up at him, before tossing away her lightsaber. "I will not fight you."

Atton watched her, his eyes stained, tainted with the darkness, even as she reached out to him, gently putting a hand on his chest. Kiray's throat stiffened, and tears gently rolled down her face as she bowed her head. Suddenly...a touch, under her chin, as Atton's gloved hand tilted her face up, and, for a moment, Kiray's tear-blurred vision swore she could see Atton, the _real_ Atton. She blinked slowly, heart rising.

Kiray barely registered the crimson point of Atton's lightsaber flying towards her chest, and when it struck home, there was no blood. In a flash, Kiray's lightsaber flew to her grip, and the navy blade thrust into Atton's stomach. She sobbed as the pain finally reached her nerves, and sobbed all the harder when she realized what she had done. As they fell, in perfect time, she stared into Atton's shocked eyes, and, before he could make another strike, kissed him. It was short, cold in the return, but it was enough for her.

"_At'ika...ni kar'tayl gar...darasuum_," she breathed, fighting off the darkness closing in around her. Atton blinked at her, and, slowly, the red light vanished from his eyes. He took a gasping breath as he put a hand on her cheek, and Kiray clasped it tight.

"'M sorry...Kir...shoulda...protected you..."

"_At'ika_," she breathed, as he started falling onto her, and she wrapped her arms around him. "I...I will..._always_ forgive you..." As darkness clouded her vision, stole away the warmth inside, she heard him, softly, in her ear.

"I know..."

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Bao-Dur was inside almost as soon as he had seen Atton's blade, and stopped short when he saw the bloody beam plunge through the general's back. He was dumbstruck, scared half senseless, as they fell to the floor: Kiray, impaled by the red lightsaber...and Atton, run through with one end of Kiray's. _No!_

He raced forward, both hands hurrying to find something, anything to stabilize either of them. Bao pulled out the blades and turned them off before peeling the two apart, fighting off horrified gasps. He had to stay calm, had to save them both. Behind him, Bao could sense Mira.

"Oh _Force_!" Mira exclaimed as she tumbled onto her knees next to him, pulling out the medpacs Bao had been looking for. "Damn, where's that handmaiden when you need her?! Or even that historian!" The huntress kept grumbling, even as the two Jedi Knights struggled to save the two.

"I think...we've got it," Bao-Dur sighed fourteen medpacs later, Kiray and Atton stripped of their armors and bandages wrapped around Kiray's front, another set of strips around Atton's stomach. The two of them settled against a pillar near Kiray and Atton, and Mira sighed.

"Y'know...I didn't think it was gonna end up like this," she admitted quietly. Bao looked at her in concern as Mira continued, "I mean...they were perfect for each other even _before _the bond thing, and now look. Nearly killing the other, it's disgraceful. I was workin' on planning the wedding and everythin'." Bao-Dur put an arm over Mira's shoulders and she sighed.

"I don't think any of us did, Mira," Bao-Dur answered. "But it's up to them to heal –" He nodded at the unconscious forms of Kiray and Atton " – and for Revan to take Trayt down."

"I hope you're right," Mira muttered, her green gaze never leaving Kiray and Atton. Suddenly, she stood, and gently clasped Kiray's hand with Atton's.


	54. Fire and Ice

CHAPTER LIII: Fire and Ice

--

Jak could feel the dark side ebbing and crashing around her as she went down the steep corridor, all the way t0 the heart of Malachor V. She had never liked it here, not when she was Revan. If anyplace could actually be one of the Nine Hells, then Malachor was definitely one of them, in Jak's mind. But, instead of turning around and heading right back up to the Academy proper and out, the Corellian Jedi kept on going, navy eyes locked straight ahead.

The floor eventually evened out, and Jak could make out a wide archway...and the core of the Trayus Academy. She knew this place pretty damn well, all right, and Jak frowned slightly as she gently cocked her right wrist back, releasing her lightsaber. She tossed it from her left hand to her right, the metals chinking together soundly before she continued on her way.

The darkened cave was illuminated from a blood-red crystal embedded in the floor of the platform precariously hanging over a well of dark side energy. A dark figure stood on top of the crystal, and Jak's eyes narrowed as she made out the bloody lines trailing down a night-black chestplate. Unconsciously, she flicked her lightsaber to violet light, looking more blue in the red light. As she drew closer, Jak saw the predatory grin on Trayt's face. _That looks like some devil about to collect on my soul right there._

"So, here you stand, Revan," Trayt said once they were properly face-to-face. The ravages of the darkness consuming Trayt were apparent on his face, and his formerly brown eyes glinted with hungry red light. "Two pinnacles of darkness, standing against each other."

"I ain't here for the dark side, Trayt," Jak spat. "I'm here to destroy you, Malachor, and everything the both of ya stand for." Her left fist clenched as Trayt laughed, a deep rumble that echoed around for what felt like ages.

"You cannot hide from what you are, Revan. You know what you are, who you are. Those four years in the Unknowns taught you things you refuse to accept as truth, and that will be your downfall."

"And yours is the willful misunderstanding of how us semi-normal folk think, you stupid Sith," Jak snarled. She could feel the darkness flexing, as if permitting something within the bubble of these two powerful beings.

_One dark, one light,_ Jak thought as Trayt drew his lightsaber, the bloody beam nearly white because of the dark crystal below. _One of fire…one of ice._

But she sure wasn't ready when Trayt spread his palm, sending a wave of fire right in her direction. Jak would've dived out of the way, but the wall of fire was too wide...so she drew up a wall of ice, trying to push the fires back. Trayt pushed at her, but Jak held her ground, shoving the fires away with everything she had.

Whoever broke first was going to be the one who died. And Jak had no intention of dying.

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"Y'think she's gonna make it?" Mira asked, nodding for the door. It felt like it had been hours since Revan had gone, but Bao-Dur's chrono seemed to be trying to tell them it had only been five minutes.

Five minutes since Kiray and Atton had nearly killed themselves.

"I wouldn't put it past Revan," Bao-Dur replied coolly after stowing away his comlink, "but I don't know how long these two will last without a kolto dunk."

"We _could_ just go back to the ship, y'know..."

"No," came Visas's voice all of a sudden. Mira was startled as the Miraluka strode calmly towards the door leading...somewhere...and waved her hand to get it open. Mira frowned as she got to her feet, one hand on her lightsaber, the other on top of her blaster. Rather unconsciously, Mira checked to make sure the safety was off.

"Whatcha up to?" Mira ventured, green eyes narrowing as Visas turned to look back at them. Mira could sense an ultra-fine _purpose_ flowing from Visas, one that she hadn't felt before. There was a tense silence for a long while that it felt like a lifetime.

_Things're happening and you hafta get involved. We can't stand by anymore_.

"To free them," was all that Visas replied. "Trayt holds their spirits back from awakening. If he wins, they will die, and the Force with them. If Revan wins, he will destroy them as he passes into the Force."

"So what're you going to do?"

"Free them."

"But _how_?!" Mira snarled. She hated it when Jedi – or anyone, for that matter – started dodging questions. But Visas turned and walked down the ramp beyond the door. Mira let a few seconds crawl past before she crept towards the doorway. Down the corridor was nothing more than inky darkness, but Mira wasn't one to be put down by shadows. It made her think back to the trap Hanharr had tried to lay, a long time ago. A _lifetime_ ago.

Mira then had foiled that trap and rescued the ungrateful furball. Mira now wasn't going to let a pitch-black hallway scare her.

"I'm going after them. You holding the fort here?" she asked, turning to glance at Bao-Dur as she unhooked her lightsaber and brought the red-orange blade to life. He nodded once, and Mira took a deep breath as she faced the darkness ahead.

She barely registered it as Bao-Dur whispered, "May the Force be with you, Mira."

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_Darkness. Nothing but dark, dank, cold. Nothing. She was nothing, there was nothing, nothing but the crushing black that suffocated her. She tried to scream, but there was no sound. She tried to move, but had no feeling. There was no time, no place, no past or future. Only now. Only the darkness that held her._

_She tried to remember. Pain was all she could muster, a flash of light before searing, unbearable pain before the darkness had taken her. Maybe she was dead. She knew she had no body, but a mind, a soul. And there was no pain, but no joy either. She wanted to weep, because she knew that there was something missing, but there were no tears when she shuddered and gasped._

_After the longest eternity, she noticed that there was something else with her. It felt familiar, like it was a missing piece of her that had been torn away. She reached for it, dreading and curious at the same time, and was startled when it turned, revealing...a face. A man's face, pained, but when he saw her, the pain seemed to leave him. Instead, he reached back to her, touched her face..._

_In an instant, her memories exploded back to place. Kiray Fett. Atton Rand. Trayt. Revan. Mira, Bao-Dur, Visas, Mical, Mandalore, T3 and HK...she threw herself onto Atton, holding him tight, glad that he was back._

_"I missed you," she managed as Atton gently rubbed her back._

_"Missed ya, too, Kir. What a way to get back together, eh?" he asked, chuckling faintly before moving aside. With some effort, Kiray could look down at the two levels of the Trayus Academy – Bao-Dur, on watch over two figures in the upper area; Jak, battling Trayt, a wall of fire and ice between them as they struggled to gain the upper hand; Mira and Visas, racing for the lower level to help Jak. Atton sighed, "Fun, ain't it."_

_"Are we dead, _At'ika_?" Kiray asked softly after a moment or two. She knew that the figures Bao-Dur was guarding had to be their…bodies. How morbid. Atton shrugged slightly._

_"Dunno. I know we sure ran each other through, so we oughta be dead…"_

_Kiray turned her gaze away from the scene far below, and instead looked above and past them. It was an indescribable tapestry of color and life, of war, peace, light, darkness. Surrounding them was a thick set of bars, reeking of some ancient power. She pushed at the bar slightly, but it was solid, even more solid than Mandalorian iron. Frowning, she saw a vision – whether of past or future she couldn't tell – float past, showing a chamber filled with glowing pods._

_Maybe she could somehow channel her power to one of those pods. Maybe then the bar would give way, thinking back to some tale of a trapped beast who was nibbled away by tiny creatures until it was small enough to finally escape._

_"Atton, no matter what you feel," Kiray warned as she pulled at the Force inside her, eventually wrenching it free and gently rolling it between her hands, "don't look. Keep focused on what's happening in the present."_

_"What're you up to?"_

_"Something potentially suicidal. If it works, we'll get out of here."_

_"And if it doesn't?" Kiray spared a glance back, looking Atton right in the eyes._

_"Then we'll either be trapped here for all time…or we'll be dead."_

_"Comforting thought," Atton grumbled. "Kir, if it's going to kill you, then you're not doing it. I won't let you!"_

_"It has to be done," Kiray answered as she mentally pulled the vision closer and starting splitting up the portion of power in her hands. "Otherwise we're dead anyway."_

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Jak couldn't hold it much longer. Trayt had too much power, too much momentum, but, being Corellian, she wasn't about to concede defeat. But if that concession could've meant getting out of this alive, Jak would most certainly consider it.

But most Sith dealt in absolutes. Either your enemy killed you, or you killed them. And Trayt was particularly keen to kill her.

"You're getting weak, Revan!" he yelled over the roaring of the twin walls shoving back and forth. "I can feel it! You won't suffer for long, I promise you that!"

"Forget it, Trayt! I ain't quittin' yet!" Jak barked in reply, but she could feel her feet grating against the stone floor...pushing backward. Trayt was winning, after all. Jak gritted her teeth and tried to throw more power into her wall, but it wasn't enough. The ice shattered.

Flames flared out around her, heating the stone floor as Jak felt the powerful thrust of air blow her backward, off the floor, before slamming back down, gut heaving as her legs dangled over the edge. Jak grappled to solidify her grip, but her left hand was sweaty, her right heated so smooth that all the friction from the scratches of work were just gone. A lot like her lightsaber.

If she could just get to the spare down her boot...

Jak carefully released the hold of her right hand, propping her left elbow up onto the rock. As she struggled to kick her right foot up so she could reach for the shaft, Trayt ambled up, grinning viciously.

"Look at you, Revan. So helpless. So..._weak_. Was this what Malak fought, before you killed him? What of the hundreds of Sith you murdered in the name of the Republic? Those that share your blood..."

"You don't know anythin' about that!" Jak spat, right hand still grappling down the solid leather boot. "No one does! You don't know anything!"

"Don't I? With the entire weight of the galaxy on your shoulders? Must take a strong person to hold all that. But that makes you all the easier to set up for a fall.

"A new order is rising, Revan. And you could have been at its head. Instead you returned to the cringing, soul-sucking Light and left lesser _mortals_ to take your duty, your task. And yet you end up killing them anyway. I'm going to make sure that you no longer _shab_ up your own plans," Trayt snarled, red eyes glowing as he lifted his lightsaber.

Jak managed to reach down to her lightsaber, hefting up the single-hilt.

She sensed Mira and Visas running up behind Trayt, their own blades lit.

The Force exploded.


	55. Cyare bal Manda

CHAPTER LIV: _Cyare bal Manda_

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_Eleven. She had killed eleven by funneling her power into them, hoping they could hold onto whatever portion they could. But at least that energy was returned to the Force with their deaths. But Kiray still had too much power trapped up inside her; the last one had to survive, had to hold most of what was left. She didn't know how this twelfth would change, would suffer from all the energy she gave up to it, but so long as it lived, Kiray could be free._

_"Kir, I don't like what you're doin'…" Atton muttered, turning to glance at her worriedly. Kiray refused to look back, instead continued to ball up what was left of her power in the Force. She felt a faint feeling brush against her, and she did look up. "Kir, stop. It hurts, it hurts the both of us…"_

_"It's the only way we'll get out of here," she answered, harder than she would like. "You see these bars? They're only as strong as the captive's strength in the Force. Giving mine up will weaken the bars enough that we can both get out!"_

_"I'm not gonna let you do this to yourself!" Atton retorted, but Kiray already had her back to him, looking into the tiny spark of life either far into the past or far into the future. He grabbed her, turned her around, before yelling, "I'm not gonna let you kill yourself!"_

_Kiray was silent for a short time that felt like eternity. She locked her gaze onto Atton's and said, so quietly that it was more like a thought than a sentence, "Death is only natural. I do not fear death. Besides…we're dead if I don't try." Atton was stunned enough that he loosened his grip, and Kiray started feeding the power into the tiny life, willing it to accept such power, such responsibility, and use it as they saw fit._

_The spark took the power, and Kiray gently strung it out, letting this young thing slowly draw it up across time and space and gather up inside. She could sense things changing about the small being, but she never slacked, and her gift was willingly taken until there was no more. Kiray finally released the vision, watched as the brief window vanished into the vastness around her and Atton. _

_When she had started her process, Kiray could see the 'world' around them so clearly, as a vast fabric that was virtually impossible to map. Now, it was dark, foreboding, and fear would have claimed a lesser person long ago. Instead, Kiray looked at Atton, who appeared like a huge beacon._

_"What's going on?"_

_"Trayt's nearly got Revan on a platter," Atton reported, "but Mira and Visas are off to the rescue.…Bao's still keeping a watch on…us." She saw him shudder and reached out to gently take his shoulder. Atton turned to look at her, and appeared horrified. Before he could say anything, though, Kiray gently pressed a hand against his mouth and nodded for the bars._

_"Time for a grade-A distraction, don't you think?" she asked, grinning mirthlessly. This was no longer a game. Whatever happened next would happen because of what they decided to do, now. Atton smirked back, and it was equally humorless._

_"You read my mind, _Kir'ika_. You read my mind." _

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Jak had no idea how it had happened, but the Force just seemed to…well, _explode_. Trayt was equally caught off-guard, tripping over his boots and landing hard on his side, while Mira and Visas staggered against one of the talon-like columns. The ground shook hard for a long while, and when it finally stopped, Jak could feel that something – or someone – had returned from the Force.

"It's over now, Trayt!" Jak yelled while she pulled herself up, back onto the floor. "Your little prisoners got loose! You got no collateral to kill off the Force!"

"Never!" Trayt roared, dragging himself to his feet and started running forward. Time seemed to freeze as Jak stared calmly into Trayt's consumed eyes. She knew that Mira and Visas were regaining their bearings, but didn't react. She saw the red blade rising up to cut her down, but Jak still didn't move.

_Act natural, Jaky. Attaway, girl, attaway._

Trayt was ready to cut off her head, less than a foot away, when Jak finally moved. All she had to do was bend over backward, avoiding the sizzling stench of ozone whistling through where her head had been less than a second before. She sprang back, sending her feet off the ground and barely registering contact with Trayt's chin, driving him backwards.

Visas was the second to react. As the Mandalorian Sith staggered back, she drew her lightsaber and brought it slashing down across Trayt's back. He roared in pain, spinning around to clout the Miraluka, but he was already slowing. He knew he was finished if he took another deadly hit like that. Visas was already a fair distance away from him when Mira struck, concentrating the Force into a firm sideways tug that dragged Trayt back towards Jak and kept pulling.

Jak stepped aside and watched as Trayt tumbled over the edge. He tried to catch the edge and hold onto it, and his life, for just a little bit longer, but he was too bulky, had too much momentum as he fell down into Malachor's heart and vanished. Jak waited until she felt the deep rattle in the Force that signaled Trayt's passing. _It's over. He's gone._

She heard the two lightsabers deactivate, and Visas put a hand on Jak's shoulder, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Come. They're awake. Alive."

"I know," Jak sighed, turning to face the ramp back upward, back to the surface. She limply clutched the lightsaber in her hand, idly thumbing on the navy blade to add more light as they returned to the academy. Bao-Dur was helping Atton sit up, while Kiray was still unconscious, but breathing nonetheless. She came up on Atton's other side, giving Bao-Dur a nod to go tend Kiray. "Atton, you're so _stupid_, you realize that?"

"Shuddup," he coughed, scowling at her slightly, but Jak grinned and hugged him a little before getting him on his feet. Bao-Dur was already picking up Kiray.

"We need to go," Visas said calmly, but Mira's green eyes were wide as she felt it, power building deep below their feet. Jak nodded once and slung Atton's arm over her shoulders.

"Back to the _Hawk_, now, and anyone lagging behind is gonna regret it until I send them to hells myself!" Jak ordered, virtually dragging Atton back they way they'd come. Bao-Dur raced after, Kiray perched on his back, and Mira and Visas brought up the rear, sprinting. She could feel the energy building up deep in Malachor's diseased heart, and it was only a matter of time before that energy reached the Mass Shadow Generator and cause it to blow all on its own. It gave Jak a bad feeling all the way until they were out of the Academy, racing back for the _Hawk_.

"Atton, you spot me in the cockpit, the rest of you, get Kiray to medbay and keep an eye on her!" she barked once everyone was on board and Bao-Dur had slapped the ramp control. Jak was barely thinking, only reacting, letting the part of her that had been Revan take over and do the commanding.

Atton beat her to the punch, already up in the cockpit and firing up the _Hawk_'s engines as Jak staggered into the copilot's seat and strapping in. But she felt rather dead inside as they lifted away from the planet just as the crust splintered under them, and the clouds split as they broke through Malachor's atmosphere and soared away into the black.

_It's over_, Jak realized, and a huge, invisible weight lifted itself off her shoulders. _We're safe. Saved the galaxy again. Yet another gem of atonement after everything else._

The former scoundrel barely heard the _Hawk_'s hyperdrive roar to life, leaving the ruins of Malachor V behind them, as Jak finally let her exhaustion sweep her into oblivion.

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_**Telos, Citadel Station – two weeks later**_

"So how does this work?" Atton asked, clenching Kiray's hand in his. "Is it a big ceremony, few words from the Mandalore...?"

"Neither," Kiray stated firmly. After their experiences on Malachor, Kiray was finally starting to recover from both the stab into her chest – Atton would never forgive himself for that, even if she did – and from willingly giving up the Force. It was also the opportune time to finally think about settling, and the first question out of Kiray's mouth when she finally woke up was asking him to marry her. "Just four sentences, all in _mando'a_. I hope you've been studying, _At'ika_."

"I _have_, thanks," Atton retorted, but grinned at her nonetheless. He squeezed her hand gently, and Kiray's two-tone eyes just sparkled at him. "You first or me first?"

"Need witnesses," Kiray muttered, looking around. It was only the two of them in the Citadel's med station, but a quick mental prod at the nurse call key from Atton brought a white-clad young thing running towards them. Kiray laughed at her expression, but asked the poor girl to please stay put.

"All right, here we go," Kiray sighed, taking a deep breath as she held Atton's hand a little tighter. He waited patiently, before Kiray finally said, in a smooth, resonant tone, "_Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi dinui an, mhi bajurir verde._" Atton easily translated the words to himself: We are one together; we are one apart, we share all, we raise warriors. Atton waited a beat or two before repeating the vows, and Kiray smiled warmly as he dragged his chair closer.

"So that's it?"

"That's it. Nice and easy. Not to mention _mando'ade_ are of few words."

"Good. I hate complicated stuff."

Kiray smiled again before closing her eyes to rest some more; poor woman had lost way too much strength for trying to get the both of them out. Atton just gave her hand another squeeze before getting up and letting her rest. He was _married_ now. It was a strange and very foreign feeling, but Atton decided he liked it.

Jak was waiting for him outside the med station, out of her armor at long last and in a more relaxed ensemble. Atton couldn't help but eye that black and red jacket as she glided forward, eyes a bit quieter than they usually were.

"Congratulations, Atton. You two're lucky to have each other, and I mean that," Jak said calmly. He was already on edge because she – whether as Jak or as Revan – always had something to say when she was that calm and that focused. Atton tried not to look too distrusting as he crossed his arms, but Jak sighed. "Listen, I know what she feels like she has to do. I've already told her once, and I'm gonna tell you, to tell her from me."

"Bit more roundabout than it sounds, but fine. What's the message?"

"Don't follow me. If you do, you will die. Don't sacrifice your family," Jak replied, but before Atton could ask her anything more, she turned and started walking away. He watched her for awhile, before doing something a little stupid and very sudden.

"Hey, Revan!"

She stopped, turning slightly. Atton knew he only had one chance at this, and he wasn't going to waste it no he had it. He was through with losing his various 'lives' because someone thought they had to die to save him and others. Always made him feel guilty inside.

"Don't you go dyin' on everyone, all right? Who knows when we'll need you to crop up again!" Jak grinned slightly, before tossing him a two-fingered salute.

"I don't plan on it, Jaq. I don't plan on it."

Atton smirked as Jak turned and watched her go. She'd be back. He knew she would. Just because the great Revan had been redeemed didn't mean she didn't have demons to deal with and old atrocities to try and forget. And Atton knew who could be there to give her a forgiving look and a good hit upside the head.

It'd be him, Kiray, the admiral, Visas, Mira, Mandalore...everyone she'd influenced. And Atton just _knew_ they'd be ready, when it had to be done. It was already easier.

_Good luck, Revan. You're forgiven, too. Just like me._


End file.
